DARLA MOORE
USC COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Columbia, South Carolina
December 18, 2006
Before I begin, I would like to pay tribute to a very distinguished USC alumnus who is being laid to rest today in Indiantown, a small community near Hemingway.
Bill Chandler was a special person who brought great joy and love to everyone he touched in his life. He was a gentleman lawyer and farmer with a passionate love for history. He was a public servant with no bounds because of race or station in life. His intellectual curiosity was always driving him to explore new horizons while protecting and preserving the heritage of his past. As a farmer, he loved and respected the earth and the people who protected it. Bill was a dear and trusted friend. He will be missed by his family, his friends, and his community and state for which he worked tirelessly to enrich. For all of us, he was the epitome of a vibrant, loving, and joyful soul, and we are thankful for the time we shared with him.
Please join me in a moment of silence in respect for Bill Chandler and his family. Thank you.
Well, here I stand – the last person and the last speech between you and a degree from the University of South Carolina so I understand whatever bit of wisdom I want to impart to you better be brief and it better be helpful. I can see it in your eyes – you have waited four years, some perhaps a little longer, for this degree and you want the celebration to begin. Even the parents are a little nervous – can it really be true that our child is actually graduating and we do not have to pay any more tuition to the University? My message is simple, direct and it relates specifically to the role each one of you must play in the world we face today.
The message I bring begins on a dirt road in a small community in the Pee Dee where a young African American boy wants to explore, wants to learn about the sciences, wants to be an astronaut, and he will not let what other people think of the color of his skin stop him. It begins in that same community with a young girl who wants to prove herself, who wants to be the best, and who will not let an artificial glass ceiling stop her just because she is a female from the South. It begins with the parents – like yours – who want the very best education possible for their children and who are willing to make whatever sacrifices are necessary. It begins with the President of this great university who wants not only academic excellence but also a legacy of leadership and stewardship in improving the quality of life for every South Carolinian. And he wants graduates, who like himself, are is not afraid to take on those who would accept less. And so, it ends with you – the graduating class of 2006 - as it has with those who have come before you and those who will follow. What will you will demand of this world and of yourself?
Ron McNair would not accept the fact that, because he was an African American from a poor, rural community, he could not achieve a life of scientific exploration. I promise you, I did not accept the fact that my opportunities were limited because I, too, came from a poor, rural community and young ladies from the South just were not expected to be New York financiers. In fact, I must tell you – if my family was depending on me to be a homemaker, they would have starved to death! After having to make an apron and some biscuits in the 8th grade, my home ec. teacher, Miss Ada Stackhouse (We called her “Miss Ada”), told my mother in a nasal twang I will never forget, “Lorraine, Darla has other skills.” In other words, I did not have home ec. skills!
Every parent here today had the very highest expectations of this university and the success of their child, regardless of others’ expectations. And, I assure you as a USC Trustee that Andrew Sorenson has never settled for mediocrity for this university nor its students, regardless of the pressure from budget cuts and unhappy legislators. His efforts along with the leadership of the Board has led to the Wall Street Journal listing the University of South Carolina as 1 of only 8 “up and comers” for improving both the caliber of students admitted and the quality of the academic offerings.
In addition, the University was recognized recently by the prestigious Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as one of the nation’s top research institutions.
And, I can’t pass up an opportunity to brag about the achievements of the Moore School of Business and the wonderful job our Dean, Joel Smith, has done. U.S. News and World Report’s college and graduate school guides rank the Moore School of Business No. 1 in the nation for its undergraduate international business program and No. 1 among public universities for its graduate international business program. Even more impressive is the Wall Street Journal now lists the Moore School of Business overall at No. 49 nationally and No. 7 worldwide in international business. While these are just a sampling of the many achievements the University and its outstanding faculty have accomplished over the last few years, it does give you an understanding of the direction we are seeking and the progress we are making.
That leaves you – the graduating class of 2006. What are you going to demand? What will you settle for in life? If you haven’t grasped the underlying theme yet, let me tell you. I want you to demand the absolute most in every respect. I want you to demand the highest standards not just for yourself and your career but for your state and your university. Demand excellence from your religious, community and political leadership, demand it from your family and colleagues and friends, and most especially, demand it of yourself. The only limitations that can truly hold you back or diminish your success are those you place on yourself. The degree you are receiving today is not some static piece of paper. As you grow in stature, it grows. As your university continues to grow in stature, your degree becomes more valuable. That means as you succeed, you should share some of your success with your university. Such gifts are not charity but what I regard as enlightened self interest.
Competition today is global and it is fierce. We have already lost many of our low and medium paying jobs to other countries. Now they are coming after the high paying, high tech jobs as well. That means the quality of your education and your ability to use it to be more innovative and superior to your competition is critical. In an article in Forbes, this question was posed, “Where is the best place to make a future Forbes 400 fortune?” I bet all of you would like to know the answer. Well, let me share with you the response given – “The most valuable, natural resource in the 21st Century is brains. Smart people tend to be mobile. Watch where they go because where they go, robust economic activity will follow.” You represent our new economy – one that will not be based on the lure of low wage jobs but on a synergy of shared talent, academic support, and opportunities to convert ideas to new, innovative, value-added products and businesses. What you demand of yourself will determine if you will prosper in our new economy.
One final point, and this is directed to those of you who grew up in South Carolina and plan to stay here, those who may leave because of opportunities but will want to move back here later, and even those who are from out-of-state but love us so much, they want to stay – demand more of our state. There is nothing that makes me angrier than the statement, “South Carolina can’t compete because we are such a poor state.” BALONEY! We can compete if we demand the best and if we continue to raise our standards. When people tell me we should lower our standards at USC, I ask them if they think the companies who will be employing their sons and daughters would be willing to lower their hiring standards because the applicant came from a poor state – Good Luck!
I am here before you today because Richard and I invested in the University’s Business School but I stay in South Carolina because I believe in you. I believe deeply that you can make South Carolina a world-class state in the same way I believe that USC can be a world-class university. That is exactly why I helped to create the Palmetto Institute, an independent think tank with the single mission of increasing the quality of life for every South Carolinian. But, I need you standing beside me demanding that our children receive a quality education and that our economy becomes strong enough to keep them in South Carolina after graduation. And so, it ends with you – the graduating class of 2006 - as it has with those who have come before you and those who will follow. What will you demand of this world and of yourself? I believe in the quality of the education you received from USC, and I believe in your ability to succeed. Believe in yourselves; tolerate no limits; achieve your dreams. Now get out there and celebrate your accomplishment, put your education to work, and enjoy life to its fullest.
Thank you.