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Chancellor's Remarks Honors Convocation

May 13, 2006

Good morning to all of you and welcome.

Welcome to this, the twelfth Honors Convocation. Thank you all for being here today and please be seated. We are delighted to host this very special ceremony to recognize MU's outstanding seniors on this beautiful morning in May and in this wonderful setting on Francis Quadrangle in front of the historic columns. I commend each of you; MU's outstanding graduating seniors for your dedication and for your superb scholarship which we recognize this morning.

I am honored to be with you today to celebrate your many accomplishments at MU and to charge you to build upon your achievements and to apply them to the betterment of your dreams for your career, your family, and for the unique contributions you can make to improve your community, your state, and the world.

And speaking of dreams — today is certain evidence that dreams are worth crafting and they can come true — the trick is to dream BIG and to be doggedly determined and to never forget the values emphasized here at Mizzou: Respect, Responsibility, Discovery and Excellence.

We are also pleased to have with us representatives of our University of Missouri System Board of Curators; President of the Board, Curator Angela Bennett and Don Walsworth. We appreciate all you do for the University of Missouri and we appreciate your being here with us this morning.

Now I am pleased to introduce those members of the platform party who will not be introduced at a later point in this ceremony. Please stand as I call your name and remain standing until all have been recognized.

• First, from the Administration,
• Provost Brian Foster
• Vice Chancellor Cathy Scroggs
• Athletic Director, Michael Alden (tentative)
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Development — Alumni Relations, Todd McCubbin
• Director, The Honors College, Dr. Stuart Palonsky

Representing the Deans of the colleges and schools on the platform today is Dean Mills of the School of Journalism. Dean Mills is now our senior ranking dean, having served since 1989. Will all of the Deans, members of the Chancellor's Staff, and members of the Provost's Staff please stand and be recognized with those who are standing here on the platform.

Also joining us this morning is the chair of MU's faculty council, Dr. William Lamberson; our readers, Dr. Michael Porter and Dr. William Bondeson and our sign language interpreter, Miranda Price, of Columbia Interpreting Services. Thank you for the part you are playing in today's ceremony.

Now representing the MU Alumni Association and that large family of MU graduates across the state, the country, and the world, we are pleased to have with us Jay Dade, President of the MU Alumni Association. Jay, I invite you to the podium.

[Jay Dade, MUAA President, speaks for approximately one minute.]

[Chancellor Deaton:]

The special time we take today to praise our graduating seniors also affords us the opportunity to recognize two individuals whose lives of achievement we honor today. In order to show the pride of this institution, its faculty, students and alumni in the accomplishments of these two special people in their roles as citizens and leaders, we will be presenting them with honorary degrees today.

Our first honorary degree recipient is Roger Vasey. Mr. Vasey, would you please join me at the podium.

Public citizen, industry leader, advisor and benefactor of MU, Roger Vasey we salute you! And we are pleased to award you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris causa.

Now, Roger, I want to share with this audience some of your background that has commended you for this recognition.

Of course, the first important thing you did was make the decision to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia.

After you graduated from MU, you completed three years of service to your country in the navy. You then focused on building a significant and enormously successful career reaching the highest ranks of management in Merrill Lynch and Company, one of the largest investment banking firms in the world.

And that's not just our opinion! The Wall Street Journal recognized your leadership in building the firm's worldwide bond business and making it the number one underwriter of a wide range of fixed income securities.

Of equal importance to the values we expound at MU, during your career and continuing into your retirement, you have been involved in numerous civic and charitable activities, with particular emphasis on the support of minority youth.

You have a passion for education and have served on numerous boards of educational enterprises, ranging from the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business to the Brunswick School. You have served as a volunteer in minority youth programs for many years. You have established inner-city programs involving mostly minority students in Chicago, New York City, and Stamford CT.

You also established a foundation for which you serve as trustee that supports a number of charitable causes with a particular focus on minority youth, including scholarships for minorities at a number of Universities across the country. You are a sponsor and advisor to various inner-city YMCAs in connection with youth programming and you have received numerous awards for your efforts in this area.

You have also played a critical role in MU's College of Business Diversity Initiatives. Because of your generous gift, the college today offers a special program for undeclared minority freshman. The Vasey Academy is intended to expose minority students to Business as a possible major and direction for their careers. Since 1997, when the first Vasey Academy class convened, over 300 minority students have been provided a unique experience that starts with a scholarship and includes weekly seminars, guest lectures including one from yourself, and visits to corporations in St. Louis and Kansas City. Their retention rate and graduation rate are remarkable, and these students are heavily recruited for both internships and full time employment.

Your passion for diversity in the workplace has been manifested in a variety of activities that have defined your life over the past thirty years and you have sought to “pay back” your alma mater, not only in a financial sense, but through your advice based on years of leading one of the world's largest financial institutions.

Roger, for all of your accomplishments, your public service, and your generosity, the University of Missouri-Columbia is proud to confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris causa.

[Vice Chancellor Scroggs and Dr. Brian Foster to come forward to assist with hooding of the honoree. Vice Chancellor Scroggs will hand the medallion to the Chancellor; Chancellor puts the medallion around Mr. Vasey¿s neck. Chancellor hands diploma to Mr. Vasey.]

[After handing the diploma to Mr. Vasey, the Chancellor says:]

Now by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri, I hereby confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris causa, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining thereto.

[Hand shake, photo, Vice Chancellor Scroggs and Dr. Foster return to their seats.]

[Mr. Vasey's remarks]

[Chancellor Deaton:]

Roger, thank you for those inspiring remarks and the challenges you have placed before our students and all of us.

Now I want to turn your attention to our second honorary degree recipient.

Our second honorary degree recipient today was singular in his courage to pursue what is right and just and in his perseverance. The name of this remarkable individual is Lloyd Gaines and this degree is being awarded posthumously.

We are so very pleased today that his nephew, Mr. George Gaines, is here to accept the degree. Mr. Gaines, would you please join me at the podium?

[George Gaines comes to the podium, stands to Dr. Deaton's right]

Lloyd Gaines was a student, a scholar, a civil rights pioneer, and a leader in the cause of racial equality, whose story may be familiar to many but whose story deserves review for us all — the story that has earned Lloyd Gaines the degree, Doctor of Law, Honoris causa, posthumously.

Lloyd Gaines' story begins with his own personal aspirations and belief in equality. These were there when he graduated valedictorian of his High School class at Vashon H.S. in the City of St. Louis and an Honors graduate of Lincoln University in Jefferson City. Despite these achievements, Lloyd was denied entrance to the Law School at the University of Missouri because he was black. Instead, the State of Missouri offered to pay his expenses for a law school outside the state.

In 1938, the Lloyd Gaines story reached the United States Supreme Court in the case, Lloyd Gaines ex. Rel. Canada v. Missouri. And what the US Supreme Court decided was that that Lloyd Gaines, then a twenty-four year old college graduate, should either be admitted to the Law School of the University of Missouri (to which he had been denied because of race) or the State of Missouri should build a Law School for blacks equal to that of whites.

In this sense, the Gaines case decision would also constitute a great leap forward in the battle to end segregation in education that culminated in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. The court decision meant that every state had to integrate, or build a separate, and similar in quality, graduate schools for blacks.

Mr. Gaines' place in history of the University of Missouri is now well established. And because of his courageous efforts, many black citizens have attended the University of Missouri and great racial progress has been made at the University and the Law School for which he stands as a vital and important symbol. In fact, this Fall, the largest number ever of minority students have accepted the invitation to study law at MU.

The Gaines' decision in 1938 was a landmark decision in the history of desegregation and Lloyd's personal courage, conviction, and self sacrifice have made a substantial difference in the lives of many students and indeed the character of the University itself. He had the courage to step forward to demand his civil and human rights and for that we are all in his debt.

Although Mr. Gaines' story as a major figure in the civil rights movement is remarkable, his personal story is not as fortunate. Lloyd Gaines was last seen at his fraternity house in Chicago where he lived while awaiting a state court hearing on the adequacy of the black Law School created by the State in response to the high court decision. One evening around March 19, 1939, he told the housekeeper that he was going to buy some stamps and he was never seen or heard from again. But his life, his sacrifices, his integrity, and his courage, his commitment, his legacy, lives on.

For his service to the University of Missouri, the State of Missouri and the country at large, the University of Missouri-Columbia is proud to confer upon Mr. Lloyd Gaines the posthumous honorary degree, Doctor of Law.

[Vice Chancellor Scroggs and Dr. Brian Foster come forward to assist — Mr. Gaines will be handed the hood — not hooded]

[Vice Chancellor Scroggs will hand the medallion to the Chancellor; Chancellor hands the medallion to George Gaines and hands the diploma to George Gaines.]

[After handing the diploma to George Gaines, Chancellor says:]

Now by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri, I hereby confer upon Mr. Lloyd Gaines the posthumous degree of Doctor of Law, Honoris causa, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities pertaining thereto.

[Hand shake, photo, and Mr. George Gaines remarks:]

[George's remarks (approximately 2-5 minutes):]

[Recognition of Honor graduates, Provost Foster:]

MU is not only rich in history and tradition — but also dynamic and changing as we look forward to the next century. This has been an outstanding year for our University, and the great promise of our future is represented in those we recognize today. At this May commencement, we have 822 students who are graduating summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude, “with honors”, honors certificate and as honors scholars. They are accompanied by faculty and staff mentors whom they have personally invited to share this day. Would the mentors please stand and remain standing as Drs. Bondeson and Porter and read your names.

[Dr. William Bondesonand Dr. Michael Porter read the names]

Let's show our appreciation to all of the mentors here today

[Provost Foster leads applause.]

Each of the honors graduates will receive their medallion as they walk across the stage. The medallion is suspended from a ribbon and features an image of the columns.

As we call you name, please come forward.

[Names are called -- each student walks across the stage and shakes hands with either Chancellor or Vice Chancellor, depending on the side of the stage, and the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor will hand a medallion to each student. The Registrar's staff will assist with the distribution of the medallions.]

[Chancellor Deaton:]

This has been a most wonderful celebration and now we've come to the part in this program where I would challenge you seniors to make everything you have done up to this moment count — use the education and the experiences you have had at MU as the foundation on which to continue developing yourself and crafting your dreams. And, as I said at the outset, dream big.

The most precious resource you have is the time that will be given you on this earth. Guard it jealously in terms of what you spend your time thinking, doing, and dreaming about. Make it count for the good of those you love and the communities in which you will live. Make it count because of the education that has been vested in you and all those who made that education possible. Make it count because you just get one precious, wonderful chance at life.

I speak on behalf of all the faculty and staff when I say our hope is that you will never leave MU in spirit. Go with our very best wishes, be an ambassador for MU wherever you are, and know that we want you to return as often as possible.