Commencement address delivered by Paul Garrett to unidentified class of graduates circa 1942

Garrett, Paul

English

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Western Kentucky UniversityTopSCHOLAR®WKU Archives Records WKU Archives1942UA3/2/4 Commencement SpeechPaul GarrettWestern Kentucky UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_recordsPart of the Higher Education Administration Commons, Mass Communication Commons, andthe Speech and Rhetorical Studies CommonsThis Transcription is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in WKU Archives Records by anauthorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact topscholar@wku.edu.Recommended CitationGarrett, Paul, "UA3/2/4 Commencement Speech" (1942). WKU Archives Records. Paper 7132.https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/7132• i \ \ We are all thinking I am sure of how different ti es are than we would wish for the fullest enjoyment of this commencement. I confess that I have been somewhat at a loss to know what it ia best to say under such condit ions. I am persuaded that it may be well for us to think to-gether about some fundamental values which are good in war as in peace . What I shall say will bo based on the sympathotio understanding l'n1ich comes from having two sons in the service and from having learned as have many of you how muc~, easier it was to go myaelf last time than to have my boJ go this. From past experience I am well aware that the' chief worri of boys in service is that we are woITying about them, but I col'.lf'oss that I find no groat com.fort in that . I do ho,rever find strentth in some things, and it i s chiefly about tLese that I shal l talk. However little we may be disposed to rejoice in it , wo have considerable cauae to congratulate ourselves upon our present situation. I n the first place we can congratulate ourselves selfishly that in contrast with a largo portion of the world, our homes have not been bombed, we have not been li!'ted from those homes we l ove and been transplanted to some othor territory at the will of a conquering t yrant, our leaders of courage have not been hanged in our marketplac~s, o.nd despite the restrictions of rationin& our children ar e not hungr1 • Unsolfiahly we have cause for congratulation that before it was quite too late we awoke to the destruction which was about to enGul f us and because of that awakening have a better than equal chance with God ' s l.elp to defeat our foes and to preserve for the future the heritage of freedoo which it ''lo.s been our privilege to enjoy. I hope that the present crisis has not l ed any of you, young or old to the erroneoua oonviotion that education 1a no l onger wo ~thwhile . Fundamentally 2. the ends of eduoation are two; first , that you might get more out of life , and aeoond, that you might make a greater oontribution to the world while you are here. The late•t invoati&at : on, made 1ome two year s ago, indioate• that tho inoo~o of t he oollece graduate i s oo the average twioe a• ,;reat a, that of t he general population, but my faith in eduoation haa never been based on any increase in inoome which it may bring. I have in• tead believed in it aa a procoss which puahe• baok horizons and lets one live in a bigger world. As President Hutchin1 of Chicaco says, "Education muot be tas ted by what it does for tho intelleot nnd spir it of mnkind--an eduoated man who cnn 't find work would be worse off if he were uneduoated and if t ho work ho does find does not demand the eduoation he has, he will ■till be able to uae it for the enriohl:ient of his leisure and the tranquility of hi• aoul." I largely agree w!th the philosophy of lfillia:n ~on Phelps when he •ays, "The beot inaurar.ce against old ace and disabilit7 ia an interesting mind. In my life of professional teachinc, " he furthor state,, "I have never endoavored to make young men more effioient; I have tried to cake them more interesting. I like to hang pictures on the •lla of t he mindJ I liko to make it possible for a man to live with himself so that he will not be bored with himself." I oven contes• to a certain sympathy with tho expreo1ion of the well known oharacter Scattergood Baine• to the eff ect that , "Webbie this here eddication never dooa have no practical earnin value to a body but jest kind of widen• out his view and shows him how to get more enjyment out of life . " Do not mlsundorstand mo pleaoe. I do have f aith in the practical values of education, but I am one of those unashamed to confeea that the of pa11in&/year1 has but increa sed my lasting conviction that tho1e values which are likely to be held impractical i n oommon judpent are in reality the moat practical of all and my faith in eduoation is chiefly based on its spiritual value,. Eduoation doe• make on• more efficient , but its greatest benef it is s. that i t enables can oroated in the il:lnge of God to develop cor e highly hi 1 fullest spiritual po1sibilitiea and to enjoy more of the horltace which 11 rithtfully hil. Along with tr.is sido of educat.on nust be oonaiderod t he other, tho inoronsed oapacity to servo. So cany jobs t o be done in thi1 i n orea1ingly teohnical world nioh delUUld apocialiied training; 30 i.i.o.ny trained oitiaona needed tomorrow to make t hi s democracy for whos e reservation we fit:}lt workJ 1 0 many tra ined loadors needed in ever y phase of community, s tate and national life , for the loavonin& ~f the publio lu::ip. I plead with you, not for the sako of Wea t.ern nor of any oollage but £or the sake of JOUr children and of the ieneral welfare thtlt where, poss iblo you eff'ord them moro of the preo1oua gift of ec!uoation. Wit h or wit hout education however thcr are certain poesesaiona, or per-haps I mean qual ities, ~hich I wish for the members of t his olnas. The first 18 thnt thoy 1111 ht aoe bonuty. Tho world is auoh n beautiful plaoe and so few talco time to see it. As I stand her e I••• a rural countr yside i n Encland and a s pr oadin~ bay in France where the tides come in. I walk beneath the trees in Hollywood Ce 1etery whore so mny of Vir~i nia'a ~reat lie bur ied, or st and on t ho lawn a v ~t. Vernon or at Montioollo and 8JD grateful that I h!\ve these and crui.y other pictures that I may not aee ai ain,but these are no more preoioua thnn thoae of auneets on Kentuolcy rivora, or of Kentuoly hillaidea covered with redbud and dof_;Wood, or thoae or wild flower• beside Kentucky brook• in the spring, or of Kentucky ak1e1 at night. A ki~dly oreator ha• surrounded you with beaut y. Take t11:le to aee i t that it y aff or d you not only pro aent but aleo future joy. Many of you are thinking of ~ordnorth'• I gazed ncd gazed but little thought What wealth the show to me bad brought For oft when on my oouoh I lie In vacant or in pensive mood They flaah upon that inwar d O}e Tlhioh i s the blias of aol itude And then my heart with pleasure fill• And dances with the daffodils. 4. That ia exaotly what I mean and I shall a lways be grateful to my mother for teaohi nt ~o to find such pleasures. They oome in good s tead now. The sru:Le of course holds true for other exper iences suoh as the opportunity to aoo a gr~at painting, or a fine pieoe of sculpture or a fine example of arohitecture or oqually to hoar a ~rsat speaker or musician. Give up some nore oonwnon pl easure when suoh ohnnoes oono that n!'terwnrd the beauty or the eloquonoo or t he nelody May be yours. HO\'l"evor I run thinkin; primarily of the beauty 1'h1oh i s noar a t hand and easily noceasible , OTen t houzh wo may have only an A card. I cnn see certa~n advantages in tho ga soline rationing w! i oh proventa ua now from tearing off f rom homo so often . Perhaps we cay 'liave ti-o to get acquainted with our families • ~ in. In the play, OUR TOWN, one who has seen or r ead it oan nover forrot the lament of Froily who comes back fro~ the grave to••• h.-f ol ks and finds them too busy rally to ~ppreoiate her presenoo and s he says, "It gees so fa,t t Vie don ' t have tlme to l ook: at one another." ell now in tt.a face of i m:ninent aepar at ion we are finding more tin-e I t hinlc to look at one another. There 's more tiJlle too for ca:res at home and eimple pleasures and there's more workinb t oget her at the common causes which the war has broubht . Jlaybe too we may find more time for book• which in the r ush t o get out o.nd away from home haTe been nvgl eoted. A poet onoe &&id , "One ~ift the f~iri e gaTe mo , tte lov~ of •ooka ~ho golden key which opens the enchanted door." And a modern noveli et is r us ponsible for t he stat.J.'lant , 1 To aoquire the habit of reading i s to oonstruot for youraelt a refuge t~om almcst al l t he miseries of life." Certainly tho love of book1 banishes al l roar of lonel iness, rainy days lose their terror, and the oountleaa del1ghtt'Ul characters who in.habit the pages ot books are friends who are alway, at home when you oall and they never bore you when you do not want to be 5 . bother ed. I he.To row fri ends i n the flesh who have E;i ven e1e aa much ploaaur9 f\1 f or oxampl e, D' Artat71an t...""ld t ill !'o llow muekoteera, or Ur. UoCa ber, or Buck Finn, or Poer Gynt , or Ura . nigca , or Joan Valcee.n, or t o loave tho f ield of fi~tion ar.d co to histor y I coul d rnontion Rober t E. Lee and Abra.ham Li~ooln 1rnd Ar.dy ,Jacks on. But :JOU see h ow htpoaa1blo i t 11 to pick f ron so endless a group who have ~de my l i f e ao r oh and h&pp:J by their prssenoe. We nay !'ind tino for pcetry r.ow ae we sit nt hOT'!'I• evoni n~s a r d learn &Ga in how the t ruo poet says !'or us what we f eJ l but are unable t o expross . Suppose you or I hoard a bir d s inBin& on a leaf less tree with wintor j uGt o.huud oveI! did wo think of ~t a s flll expr osoion or f ilth wo , o.i d bo able to find no words fo;:- it, but l'li!linm Poroy ooul d sny it f or ua1 I r a.rd a bi r d at break of day Sing froa the autur:in tree ■ A son~ so ~yst~oal and calm So f ull of cortaint1e• Uo ...an :r thiru· cou!d lis tc,n lone E.:.coopt upon his knee■ Yot t1is was but a si~plc bird Alone among dead tr•••• Have you wanted an expre11ion of f aith i n t his dark hour and been unable to find i t? Then say with David, "The Lor d ia MY shepherd, I sha.11 not wnnt . Ho mak:eth UE to l ie down i n gr een pastures. He leadeth ME bes ide t he st ill water■ • Be roat oret h MY soul . Ile leadeth ME in t he paths of r ichteouones s for his namos no.lee . 1oa, t hOU(;h I wa l k t h rou&h the valley of the shadow of doa t h , I ohall . oar no ovi l . Or Tenny~on: 0 yot wo trust t hat somehow Good wi l l bo t he f inal goal of 111 . That nothing walks wi t h aim1esu f eet That not one lif e shal l be dest r oyed Or cu t as r..ibbi sh to u roid lfhen God hnth lt!ldo hi s pi le co~plot e. Or Bro,min , 6. One no never t 1rned his back but mar ched breast fo~rd llovor doubted olo1.1da would break ~ever dr amed tho right ~ere ~orated . wron~ ~oul d t ri1.llllpb, Held we fall to r~ee, are baffled to tight better Sleep to wake. You aoe how i mpoaaiblo it 13 to 50 further with this r eoor-endation, but I ho o you understand how valuable a love of boo~& ls at 11 ti~es 9.Ild eapecial l y at such a ti~o s this and ~ow gr3ntly I wish the 811lbers of this ola1a might have it na one of l ife'• ~r eat treaaur•• • T~en I wish that t hey might h ve ooura~o and the 1pi rit of sao~ifioe -milch ia bu · lt on coura&o • 'i'liia com i natlo-. coos ucn to r edccn hu::innity fro:n utt tr l '>:dusness. JuGt •h9r. ths sins nd ~orrors -:,f men tempt you to loee a ll hope you are br~u~ht to worshipful admiration at tho courage of f olks and at tho solf forvetful ~esa with v., io. they serve h ~~ity. There's t~e c~ur•~• and aacrifice or doctors and 1c1ont1sts who inocul~t• the~aelvos in the labor~tory with etrange z~r~a to •~ve others for nll time fro~ diseaee , nnJ t horo ' s the courace and• cr ifi oe of t ~ose who t urn t heir backs on homos ar.d l oved one s and go out to diata~t land• to preach tr e gospel i n which t hey bel i eve, and ther e •~ the oc'.lra te a.~d sacr lfic~ of those who through aces pest h ve gone and lfflO cow go to fight for he presenation of fre edom, and there'• the courag3 and • crifi o~ of the reothers who iive the~ birth and watch t han go . All these are t hose who live rot f or aelf lut for others a~d vho s~ek through aaorifioe to make the world a better place for the future . They ~ave heard the challenge ot one who oarne not to be mini atorod unt o but to mlni ste~ ~nd to i i ve h11 life a ransom for many. ~a are in day• no• •h•n there ia no plaoe for 001nrdioe acd selfishno,1 but when oouroge and saorifioe a.re esae~tial on the pe.rt of all. Then I wish the mmbers of t h:a class might have fai t h. F'rat, fa i t h in eelf. To aooomplish anything 7ou must have it. 11th it nothin& 11 l ik.ell t o stop you. 7. I have 1een many boJ I and girl• at the college who had nothing in family or in finance to juatity their ambition to have a college education but who had determination and tai t h in Hlt 11.d'ti cient to carry them through and to out-standing sucoe11 later. The story of America is tull ot auoceaa atoriea of those who had no chance but who nevor let that atop them, because they had faith in self. In the second place I want th«n to have faith in democracy, that precious poa1e111on which came to us through the courage and sacrifice and struggle• ot cen through countleu years and which we only fully appreciate now whoo its loss la threatened. Thero was a tin• when ordinary men had no troedom. Their property and their lives ' were subject to the will and fancy of tyrants and kings. Socially they were condemned to remain at the level of their birthJ economically they had no chance to batter their condition; politically they had no voice; roligiou1ly they had no freedom of worship. Througn argument and struggle and death these freedoms were won. Seeking th••• freedom, men oame to t t i1 country and established a government which ha• stood through the year■ as a beacon light to treedom-aeeking men throughout the world. Thia government•• founded on t he philosophy which J efferson expressed in the Declaration ot Independence, 'ffe hold these truths to be self evident , that all men ar e created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable ri ghts; that among these are Life, U berty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these right• governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Lincoln understood tho strusgle. In 1861 he aaid, It was not the more separation of the colonies from tho mother country but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty not alone to the people of this country, but hope to all the world for all future time. It waa that which gave pro~he that in due time the weights should be lifted from the ahouldera of all men and that all should have an equal chance. a. Our President understand•. I n hi• laet inauuural he ■aid , Amerioa has been then.-. world le al l tongue■• to all people■• not beoau■e t hl • continent was a new found land, but beoause all who came here believed they oould create upon t hi• continent a new life whloh ahoul d be new in freedom. Safeguard• wore plaoed in the oonatltution to pr oteot theae freedoms ot property and person ao hardly won. Men haTe oom• eagerly from other nation.a to enjoy the opportunity and freedom found here. Our demooraoy haa not been perfect beoauae its functioning has depended on imperfeot men, but t hi• can be said that under it the or dinary oitiien has been able to wor ship God a■ he oho••• to hold hi• home as hi• oaatl• seoure again.at illegal entry. to critioi1e hie goTernment without t ear of molestation, and to haTe a Toice in the aelection of its otfloiala, t o engage i n research and then declare hi• findings without tear. t o ri■e and go t o work and then come home again and aleep without any knock on hla door in the night bringing a numbing fear of gover nment splea or ot a conoentratlon camp or of a tiring ■quad. These are the t'reedo~• for which we fight. The alter native to victory la slaver y.mental and physical,to a master race and to a t otal itarian state whioh makes no provision in its thinking for the indiTidual free dom• whioh I have mentioned or for order ly changes under democratic procea1es to ra.edy ffila which may arise. Many men have died in the past in the tlrm faith that death wa1 but a worthwhile sacrifice i f t hrough it thia pricel••• heritage of freedom might oome down to us . Theirs i1 the challenge that w hold i t aaf e and pre1erve it for tho■e who shall come after u1 . I t i s for ua aa Lincoln said. To here highly reaolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that thi• nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom; and that gover nment of the people, by the people . and f or t he people shall not pari ah from the earth. The fight is for our children and for their chi l dren. that they may walk with heada up in freedom. We oan not and will not tail to keep t hia truat. 9. Finally, I wish that the members of this olaas may have taith in God. No man is strong enough to stand alone with no rook on llhioh to lean. The gr eat leaders of A:ner1oa have beon men of faith. Through the past He has blessed nnd pr oaorved this nation . Uy faith is that it is not Bia will that the principles for whioh it stands ehall be destroyed by the power• of evil aiainat which we contend nor that the li&ht of freedom shall be blotted out by darlcneaa if we do our beat and have faith in Ria power. Thia then is ~y nessage in l'lhioh I hope you may find ao:ne help, that you oa~ mako lifo'a dull and dread houra brighter by the possession of pictures gathered from beauty that you have seen and from the oOtlpe.nionship and thoughta of thos~ jOU hnvo coco to know from the pago a of literature, that you may find time for ~he happines s that 00001 fro simple thing• such•• worki~ together at comm.on taaka and for friendahip, and that you may have the courage and spirit of aervioe whioh make your lives worth- while, and finally that for whatever difficulties may oonf'ront you , you may have the strength 11hich oomea from faith. 

UA3/2/4 Commencement Speech

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UA3/2/4 Commencement Speech

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