In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Atoms for Peace and in celebration of President Eisenhower´s vision, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei accepted, on behalf of the Agency, a bronze bust of President Eisenhower presented by the US Ambassador, Mr. Kenneth Brill as a gift of the people of the United States. Mr. Jim Brothers, a sculptor who has commemorated many monumental figures in bronze, carved the President’s likeness.
Ambassador Brill, in his opening comments at the ceremony, said "...President Eisenhower proposed not only a radical new direction for the use of nuclear technology, but also a critical role for a new international organization committed to the goal of nuclear non-proliferation... President Eisenhower, a man who came to the Presidency as a war hero, posited a future where the unbridled pursuit of military power was transplanted by dreams of peace."
In his remarks at the ceremony, Director General ElBaradei said, "As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of 'Atoms for Peace', it is appropriate here at the Agency - the 'brainchild' of Eisenhower and the global centre for turning this vision into reality - to rededicate ourselves to exert every effort to achieve (Eisenhower´s) plan of action. Eisenhower understood the complexity of the task: 'In this quest, we must not lack patience'."
Director General ElBaradei concluded by echoing those famous words: "We still have much work to do. We must not lack patience and we must not lose faith."