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PU&U 51 C o n g r a t u la t io n s G radu ates! In ex te n d in g t h e s e W e lco m e \ H A lu m n i! g r e e t i n g s as P r e s i d e n t o f the A lu m n i S o c i e t y , I a m e n jo y in g the th ir d s u c h s ig n if ic a n t o c c a s i o n . i t ' s the b e s t p a r t of the j o b . Let m e m y p u r p o s e in a p p e a r in g h e r e t o d a y : Y o u m a y quote m e - - state as p r e c i s e l y as I a m ab le M y i n t e r e s t r e l a t e s to the r o l e o f the A lu m n i S o c i e t y in the fu tu r e g r o w t h and s t a b ilit y o f this great U n iv e r s it y . As U n iv ersity graduates, you h av e d e m o n s t r a t e d the a b ilit y and d i s c i p l i n e to d e c i d e upon a l o n g - t e r m p r o j e c t . a d e t e r m i n a t i o n to r e a c h distan t g o a l s , tow ard fa ls e p r o m is e s A m e rica n u n iv e rsitie s, s u s t a in e d w ith ou t su d den sh ifts in d i r e c t i o n o f in stan t g r a t i f i c a t i o n . g r e a t a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s o f the A m e r i c a n Y ou have You have s h a r e d in the u n iv e r s it y . in c lu d in g the U n i v e r s i t y o f G e o r g i a , have c o n t r ib u t e d e n o r m o u s l y to the a l m o s t u n b e lie v a b le i n c r e a s e in k n o w le d g e the w o r l d has e x p e r i e n c e d w ith in the p a s t h a l f - c e n t u r y . *7i 2 L o r d Snow, a B ritish d ia lo g u e w ith his s c i e n t i s t and n o v e l i s t , in a r e c e n t l y p u b lis h e d 1 8 - y e a r o ld son o b s e r v e d : nAt a r o u g h e s t i m a t e s in c e 1945, A m e rica n u n iv ersities h a v e c a r r i e d out abou t 80 p e r c e n t o f a ll the s c i e n c e and s c h o l a r s h i p in the w e s t e r n w o r l d , and a v e r y hig h p r o p o r t i o n o f the s c i e n c e and s c h o l a r s h i p in the w h o le p la n e t . the e f f e c t o f a s in g le g e n e r a t io n . w h ic h A m e r i c a n s m ig h t, It is T h is is s o m e t h in g abou t w ith ou t f a l s e m o d e s t y , pat t h e m s e lv e s on the b a c k . n C o m in g f r o m and f o r m a scien tist, o p in io n s o b j e c t i v e l y , a m a n t r a i n e d to o b s e r v e th is ca re fu lly s ta te m e n t e m p h a s i z e s th is f a v o r a b l e a s s e s s m e n t o f A m e r i c a n u n i v e r s i t i e s and p r o v i d e s r e a s o n f o r p r i d e in our a cco m p lis h m e n ts . But I h a s t e n to w a r n that o u ts ta n d in g a c h i e v e m e n t s a lw a y s b r i n g a d d it io n a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s and d u t ie s . S ta gn a tion and d e c a y a w a it the u n i v e r s i t y that is unable to k e e p p a c e w ith the r a p id e x p a n s io n o f k n o w le d g e 3 we are e x p erien cin g . M o r e and m o r e p e o p l e a r e the u n i v e r s i t i e s . fu lly e a g e r l y d e m a n d in g e n t r a n c e into A l r e a d y s t r a in e d to the l i m i t s , the u n i v e r s i t i e s are a w a r e that e v e n m o r e p r e s s i n g d e m a n d s a r e b u ild in g up f o r the fu t u r e . U n iv e rsitie s, resou rcefu ln ess in l a r g e m e a s u r e , o f its u n d e r g r a d u a t e s , r e l y upon the v i t a l i t y and a lu m n i, fa c u lt y , and a d m i n i s t r a t io n to c o p e w ith the in e r t ia and i n d e c i s i o n that d e v e l o p in an y in s titu tio n , w h e t h e r it i s r e la t e d to g o v e r n m e n t , b u sin e ss, o r e d u c a t io n , if its p r o b l e m s a p p e a r to b e o v e r w h e l m i n g . I c o n f e s s to a s t r o n g u r g e to a p p e a l to y o u r s e n s e o f duty, to r e m i n d you (and h e r e I quote a n o t h e r o f o u r B r i t i s h f r i e n d s ) , nthe o n ly w a y w e c a n r e p a y o u r debt to the p a s t is b y p u ttin g the fu tu r e in debt to u s . n But you a r e a w a r e o f t h is , s a y that y o u a r e i n d e e d w e l c o m e S o c ie t y . W e n e e d y o u r t im e , as new m e m b e r s y o u r t a le n t s , so I w i l l sim p ly o f the A lu m n i and y o u r m o n e y in o u r 4 d e t e r m i n a t i o n to strengthen the a l r e a d y a d m i r a b l e r e p u t a t io n o f the U n i v e r s i t y o f G e o r g i a as a c e n t e r o f l e a r n in g . A g a in , m y c o n g r a t u la t io n s and e v e r y g o o d w i s h f o r y o u r h a p p in e s s and a r e w a r d i n g fu tu r e .
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