115th Spring Commencement of The University of Texas at Austin
Excerpts of Remarks by Larry R. Faulkner
May 23, 1998
Main Building Terrace
Welcome to the 115th commencement of The University of Texas at Austin.
We gather this evening to observe the end of one journey and the beginning of another!
Tonight, the family is here--degree candidates, parents, relatives, guests, faculty, staff, and the rest of The University community. It is customary for families to come together for major life events. This is one of those events in the life of this university and its family. It is a wonderful privilege for me to welcome you home for it.
We hold commencement here on the Main Mall because it is at the heart of The University, both physically and spiritually. The majestic Spanish Mediterranean buildings that surround us were constructed of Texas limestone, wrought iron, and tiles of red clay. But they were also constructed of hope and optimism and confidence in the unlimited potential of the future.
One of the charms of Texas, and certainly a principal secret of its great success, is the remarkable, consistent focus that Texans place upon the future. Texas was built by people who felt driven toward a brighter future. Their spirit remains. Our graduates this evening represent a large investment in the future made, not only by the generations who preceded them, but also by themselves.
As I look out across this gathering of thousands, I recognize the face of Texas. Texas has always been on the frontier. Geographically, we've been on the edge, and we still are. We have always served as a haven for people who want room to move and a place to think big. And we still do. Our students hail from all 254 counties in Texas, all 50 states of the union, and more than 115 different nations. I just returned here myself from Illinois last month, a journey that has taken almost 30 years since I left with my doctoral degree. While we, students and graduates of The University, represent the whole spectrum of humanity, we have something in common, for we all came to The University for the same reasons--to gain opportunity, to experience freedom, and to find a path to excellence.
The University is a grand enterprise, indeed, one of the grandest devised by the human mind and spirit. It does have the power to transform lives for the benefit of society. Over the past few years, you have put a part of yourselves into it; and in ways that may take decades to appreciate, this place has transformed you. In turn, your investment here has helped transform the lives of the people around you.
There are 6,000 students graduating today. Every one of you had a smaller, less imposing alternative to coming to UT. This surely can be an imposing place. But you wanted to think big, aim high, and prepare to do big things. Some of the parents here may have been apprehensive about this decision. But parents--you allowed your sons and daughters to dream big! We thank you for that. I invite the Class of 1998 to join the faculty and me in giving a Texas-size salute to your parents, families, and friends for their devotion and support. Would the families and supporting friends of tonight's graduates please rise and be recognized.
Every graduate here has demonstrated initiative, self-discipline, and resourcefulness in order to reach commencement. Many of you displayed uncommon courage.
Let me share three examples.
Lynda Cleveland of Dallas came here after nine years of rehabilitation from a traumatic brain injury--determined to earn her Ph.D. in biomedical communications. After an auto accident, she had lost her memory and her speech was seriously impaired. But she had the courage to pursue her dream, and tonight we honor her achievement.
Lynda Cleveland displayed courage.
In 1994 Okan Karliova, then 18, said goodbye to family and friends in Turkey and traveled to Austin. He was concerned about his ability to adapt to the academic regimen here, but, he said, "I liked the fact that UT was big and highly competitive." Okan discovered that he was up to the challenge--he recently was honored for having the highest grade point average among students graduating in four years from the College of Engineering.
Okan Karliova displayed courage.
And finally--consider these words from archaeology major Kay Clarke, who hails from Liberty Hill, Texas: "I am 62 years old. Six years ago...I had not even graduated from high school. My years here at UT have been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life besides the birth of my six children. I know that the lion's share of the future belongs to the young...but my education here has made me a more productive human being with a definite stake in the future that I felt was lost to me...I have 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren who will be attending commencement..."
Kay Clarke displayed courage.
Before us tonight are 6,000 compelling success stories. I congratulate each of you on your courage. You committed yourself to one of America's most challenging universities; you stayed the course; you succeeded.
One of your most important tasks during your time on this campus has been one that is not listed in the degree requirements. And that is to discover, explore, and refine the values that will help you make the difficult decisions in life. This is a task that will ever be with you. Willie Morris, in his autobiography North Toward Home, wrote:
"The University of Texas had to teach us that we were intelligent beings, with minds and hearts we might learn to call our own. [And] that there were some things--ideas, values, choices of action--worth committing one's self to and fighting for. Yet the hardest task at The University of Texas was to separate all the extraneous empty things that can drown a young person there, as all big universities can drown its young people, from the few simple things that are worth living a life by."
Finding and embracing those values--"the few simple things that are worth living a life by" --represent a large part of developing a sense of identity as an individual. Your education has given you a strong foundation on which to build.
The University offers some touchstones in the form of its own core purpose and values. The University's core purpose--to transform lives for the benefit of society--is one that also has meaning to you as an individual in your life ahead. The University's values represent its most essential commitments as a community. I commend them also to you as individuals. They include the quest for knowledge, discovery, truth, and freedom---the will to lead with integrity---and the responsibility to use our gifts to make the world a better place.
Another part of your informal education here has been for you to become acquainted with peoples, cultures, and ideas very different from your own. Did anyone miss that opportunity? I think that is one student service we deliver 100 percent of the time. As a result, you have learned to view the world from a broader perspective. You have adapted to life on the frontier. Here at UT, you have been exposed to a global perspective, which is to say, the perspective of Texas in the 21st century.
Whether you are a native Texan--or born on the opposite side of the planet--you are now forever identified with Texas. The state's very name is derivative of a Native American word for friend--Tejas. Embrace the generous spirit of Texas and carry it with you always.
Graduates and members of the Class of 1998, I salute you. You are ready to take on the world!
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