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May 14, 2005
Purdue president tells graduates history hints at tomorrow's promise
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University President Martin C. Jischke today (Saturday, May 14) encouraged new graduates to celebrate the last half-century of American history and challenge themselves in the half-century to come.
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Jischke spoke to more than 1,000 candidates in the colleges of Liberal Arts and Science, their families and friends during the first of four spring commencement ceremonies in the Elliott Hall of Music. Commencement continues at 2:30 p.m. today and concludes with ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday (May 15).
This was the university's 195th commencement.
"With all that was accomplished in the last half of the 20th century, I believe the next 50 years will be even more stunning," Jischke said. "At the dawn of the 21st century, we are entering what I believe will be the most exciting time in history. We are at a transforming moment in time when a convergence of engineering, science (and) technology … is about to change the world."
Jischke told the graduates that they should take advantage of the opportunities such a moment provides.
"The sea change created by information technology alone in the past 25 years will seem mild compared with the revolution that is now emerging through advances such as new protein-based drugs, nano-devices (and) fuel cells that will power tomorrow's automobiles," Jischke said. "The graduates of today will have the opportunity not only to experience, but also to create this next great period of change."
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Jischke suggested that graduates use the generation of Americans who came of age during World War II as a role model, citing the revolutionary changes that began to develop in the country at that time. Among the changes Jischke mentioned were the rise of suburban living, the development of air and space travel, the invention of computers and the discovery of the polio vaccine.
"The post-World War II era of the 1950s launched the most incredible period of economic, technological, medical, cultural and artistic growth the world has ever seen," Jischke said.
That generation of Americans earned the title of "greatest generation," which it has been dubbed by several American history scholars. However, Jischke said it now was time for another generation to lead the country into the 21st century.
"The 1950s and all that followed were created by what we have come to call the 'greatest generation,'" Jischke said. "This was a generation molded by the Depression and war, people who shaped the course of history and built the promise that you are fulfilling today. There are members of this generation in our audience today. We owe them all a deep debt of gratitude.
"We also recognize there is room in the march of time – in fact there is an enormous need – for more than one greatest generation. I believe you graduates of today can be the next greatest generation. And your success will be measured by more than personal gain. It will be measured by your willingness to serve your nation, your communities and one another."
Emma Doud, a College of Science graduate from Wabash, Ind., was the student responder during the first commencement ceremony. Like Jischke, she said she saw both challenges and potential greatness in the class of 2005.
"Our duty will be to become mentors and advisers, and our dream must be to make seemingly impossible hopes the realities of tomorrow," Doud said. "It is a fact that everything we do affects not only ourselves, but also others. Although it was possible to avoid responsibility to some extent during our time as students, we must now take it on wholeheartedly."
This afternoon's commencement ceremony will include graduates of the Krannert School of Management and the College of Technology. A class response will be provided by Anthony Gregory, of Hurricane, W. Va., a graduate of the College of Technology.
The Sunday morning ceremony will include graduates of the College of Engineering and the School of Veterinary Medicine. A class response will be provided by Emily Hunter, of Carmel, Ind., a graduate of the College of Engineering.
The Sunday afternoon ceremony will include graduates of the colleges of Agriculture; Consumer and Family Sciences; Education; and Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences. A class response will be provided by Aaron Roberson, of Greenwood, Ind., a graduate of the College of Education.
An estimated 5,798 degrees will be presented in the four ceremonies this weekend at Purdue's West Lafayette campus, including 4,490 undergraduate degrees, 231 professional degrees, 796 master's degrees and 281 doctoral degrees.
At a cost of $30, DVD footage of the West Lafayette commencement will be available to graduates and their families. Order forms are available at Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse box office or by calling (765) 494-3933. Order forms can be submitted both before and after each commencement ceremony.
Writer: Aaron Martin, (765) 496-3133, martinac@purdue.edu
Sources: Martin C. Jischke, (765) 494-9708, mcjischke@purdue.edu
Melinda Gardner, assistant registrar, (765) 494-8219, mgardner@purdue.edu
Emma Doud, edoud@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: A draft of President Jischke's complete commencement speech is available online.
PHOTO CAPTION 1:
Monica Gates of Warsaw, Ind., at left, and Carly Grissom, of Muncie,
Ind., have a post-graduation celebration today (Saturday, May 14) at
the water sculpture in front of Hovde Hall on Purdue University's West Lafayette campus. Grissom is the granddaughter of the late
former astronaut and Purdue alum Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom. Gates and
Grissom, who both earned degrees from Purdue's College of Liberal
Arts, were among the nearly 5,800 students scheduled to receive
degrees in four weekend commencement ceremonies in Purdue's Elliott
Hall of Music. (Purdue News Service photo/Dave Umberger)
A publication-quality photo is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2005/commence05-fount.jpg
PHOTO CAPTION 2:
Janet Fang, at center, a new graduate in industrial design from
Bloomington, Minn., shows her mortar board design to her sisters
Emily Fang, at left, and Margaret Laughton. Janet Fang was among the
1,050 students participating in graduation ceremonies this morning
(Saturday, May 14) for students in the colleges of Liberal Arts and
Science at Purdue University. Nearly 5,800 Purdue degrees will be
presented during four commencement ceremonies scheduled for today and
Sunday (May 14 and May 15) in the Elliott Hall of Music. (Purdue News Service photo/Dave Umberger)
A publication-quality photo is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2005/commence05-flower.jpg
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