Commencement address given by Dr. Bernadine P. Healy, Director of the National Institutes of Health, to the Spring 1992 graduating class of The Ohio State University, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, June 12, 1992

Healy, Bernadine

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COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS SPRING QUARTER COMMENCEMENT JUNE 12, 1992 Dr. Bernadine Healy W e l l , now you've clone i t . Not o n l y have you gr a d u a t e d . You have graduated from a f a b l e d c e n t e r o f e x c e l l e n c e i n America's h e a r t l a n d , Ohio S t a t e . You have changed y o u r l i f e and now you have a chance t o h e l p change o t h e r ' s . C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s I You've worked so hard and w a i t e d so l o n g . I'm not g o i n g t o p r o l o n g the day w i t h a l o n g speech. I'm j u s t g o i n g t o sh a r e w i t h you a few i d e a s about l i f e w i t h t h e hope t h e r e might be something i n t h e s e t h o u g h t s some of you w i l l f i n d u s e f u l . There's an o l d S p a n i s h g r e e t i n g t h a t s a y s , " T e l l me yo u r l i f e and m i r a c l e . " I t h i n k t h a t ' s a f i t t i n g s e n t i m e n t f o r t h i s o c c a s i o n . O b v i o u s l y , f o r a l l o f you, Ohio S t a t e has been p a r t o f yo u r l i f e . F or a t l e a s t some of you g r a d u a t i o n i s a m i r a c l e . Of c o u r s e , l i f e i t s e l f i s a m i r a c l e . And, i f n o t c o n t i n u o u s l y m i r a c u l o u s , a t l e a s t f r e q u e n t l y s u r p r i z i n g . Now t h a t y o u r l i f e i s changing, l e t me suggest t o you a few o f t h e changes y o u ' l l n o t i c e f a i r l y soon. I f y o u ' r e g o i n g i n t o b u s i n e s s , y o u ' l l f i n d t h a t t h e t e c h n i q u e o f g i v i n g t h e answer you memorized f o r a b l u e book exam r e g a r d l e s s o f what t h e g u e s t i o n s i s w i l l no l o n g work. In b u s i n e s s y o u ' l l f i n d t h a t no matter what answer you g i v e t h e r e ' s a p r e t t y good chance your boss w i l l say i t ' s wrong anyway. I f y o u ' r e a male you w i l l most c e r t a i n l y need a t l e a s t two p a i r s of s o c k s . One p a i r s h o u l d be b l a c k . I t would be n i c e i f t h e o t h e r p a i r was something o t h e r t h a n g r e e n but ma t c h i n g c o l o r s are b e t t e r than n o t h i n g . And bot h p a i r s s h o u l d be l a u n d e r e d more f r e q u e n t l y t h a n t h e phases o f t h e moon. I f you a r e female you w i l l no l o n g e r t o be a b l e t o wear a p a i r o f n y l o n s w i t h a run i n them u n t i l you have t i m e t o g e t a new p a i r . And r e g a r d l e s s of where you work, no ma t t e r how g r e a t t h e t e m p t a t i o n , you w i l l not be a l l o w e d t o hang p r o f a n e s l o g a n s on your o f f i c e w a l l about t h e geography of Ann A r b o r o r the geneology of a W o l v e r i n e . The f a c t i s , John Cougar Mellencamp not w i t h s t a n d i n g , you a r e no l o n g e r J a c k and Diane o u t s i d e the T a s t y F r e e z e w i t h a c h i l i dog. You a r e graduates w i t h a t l e a s t some o b l i g a t i o n , and I admit i t i s not easy, t o b e g i n masquerading as r e s p o n s i b l e a d u l t s . Mr. Mellencamp would put i t t h i s way, " L i f e goes on l o n g a f t e r the t h r i l l o f l i v i n g has gone." He would not o n l y put i t t h a t way, he has put i t t h a t way. But you know, he's wrong. My message t o you today i s t h a t l i f e indeed goes on but i t w i l l be as t h r i l l i n g as you want t o make i t . When you get t h a t d i p l o m a i n your hand some of you w i l l l o o k a t i t and wonder, "What good does i t do me?" That' s a n o t h e r one o f t h o s e t h i n g s about l i f e . I t depends upon how you l o o k a t t h i n g s . I ' l l g i v e you an example. There's a s t o r y about a composer from B r a z i l . Whenever he was i n need o f i n s p i r a t i o n he would f l i n g open t h e windows of h i s s t u d i o and l o o k a t the mountains around R i o . Then he would draw t h e o u t l i n e o f t h e mountains on h i s b l a n k sheet music t r a c i n g , t h e shape of t h e mountains w i t h the notes o f t h e s c a l e and he c r e a t e d h i s music t h a t way. Look a t your d i p l o m a t h e same way. Even w i t h the w r i t i n g on i t and a l l t h a t i s b e h i n d i t , t h e t i m e , the money, t h e i d e a s , t h e s i l l y o p i n i o n s and b r i l l i a n t i n s i g h t s , i t i s e s s e n t i a l l y a b l a n k s h e e t . But t h e r e ' s i n s p i r a t i o n i n t h a t document — a c e r t i f i c a t e t h a t you've been g i v e n a chance t o see t h e w o r l d d i f f e r e n t l y . So l o o k a t i t . B e s i d e s you may not see i t a g a i n u n t i l y o u r spouse gets i t framed f o r you on y o u r f i f t e e n t h wedding a n n i v e r s a r y . You have l e a r n e d a l o t a t Ohio S t a t e and l e a r n e d q u i t e a b i t about l i f e . One t h i n g you l e a r n e d soon, and perhaps t o y o u r g r e a t s u r p r i s e , i s the r e l e v a n c e o f your l i f e w i t h i n t h e u n i v e r s i t y t o what you do do next. G r e a t as t h i s u n i v e r s i t y i s , one of i t s g r e a t e s t a t t i b u t e s i s t h a t i t i s w e l l connected t o t h e s o c i e t y a t l a r g e . W e l l o v e r a c e n t u r y ago C h a r l e s Dickens came t o t h i s c o u n t r y and he d i d n ' t much c a r e f o r what he saw. But when i t came t o one s p e c i a l brand o f i n s t i t u t i o n , he s a i d t h i s , "Whatever t h e d e f e c t s o f American u n i v e r s i t i e s may be, i n t h e i r whole c o u r s e o f s t u d y and i n s t r u c t i o n t hey r e c o g n i z e a w o r l d , and a broad one, l y i n g beyond t h e c o l l e g e w a l l s . " The f a c t i s the genious o f the contemporary American u n i v e r s i t y i s t h a t t h e r e r e a l l y a r e no w a l l s a t a l l . T h i s u n i v e r s i t y i s not o n l y connected w i t h i n i t s environment, i t ' s p a r t of i t , c o n d u c t i n g a commerce of s e r v i c e and i d e a s t h a t shape the s o c i e t y a round i t and then reshape the u n i v e r s i t y . And t h a t ' s a n o t h e r f e a t u r e o f l i f e . You a r e i n i t a l l t h e way. Peop l e w i l l put demands on you. You w i l l be p r e s s e d , h a r r i e d , q u e s t i o n e d , c h a l l e n g e d , and sometimes admired, p r a i s e d and thanked. I t may not always be what you ex p e c t nor u n f o l d as q u i c k l y as you want but you can do t h r i l l i n g t h i n g s w i t h i t w i t h f a s c i n a t i n g p e o p l e . You w i l l u l t i m a t e l y have an impact p u r e l y as a r e s u l t of what you do. So do w e l l . A r t h u r F r i e d was a famous t h e a t r i c a l p r o d u c e r and he once gave t h i s a d v i c e t o A l l e n J a y L e r n e r , the man who co-wrote t h e Broadway v e r s i o n o f "Camelot." He s a i d , "Stop t r y i n g t o be d i f f e r e n t . You don't have t o be d i f f e r e n t t o be good. To be good i s d i f f e r e n t enough." So whatever you do be good a t what you do. And be proud of i t . Joseph Campbell guoted i n t h e book, "The Power of Myths," r e c a l l e d h i s C a t h o l i c c h i l d h o o d somewhat r u e f u l l y . He remembered h a v i n g t o c o n f e s s h i s s i n s and t h e apology t h a t was always r e q u i r e d f i r s t . L o o k i n g back, he thought t h e whole t h i n g s h o u l d have been t u r n e d around t o r e a d t h i s way, " B l e s s me, F a t h e r , f o r have been g r e a t . These are the good t h i n g s I have done t h i s week." I'm no t h e o l o g e n but I can t e l l you f o r s u r e t h a t a p o s i t i v e o u t l o o k , as l o n g as i t d o e s n ' t become a r r o g a n t , can go a l o n g way. You a r e p r i v i l e g e d p e o p l e . You have been g i v e n t h e chance t o e n c o u n t e r t h e backbone of c i v i l i z a t i o n and i t s h i s t o r y as w e l l t h e backbone of modern s o c i e t y and how i t ' s e v o l v i n g . Now you have a s t i l l g r e a t e r p r i v i l e g e . You w i l l become the backbone i t s e l f . You a r e i t . You a r e t h e ones p r e s e n t e d as l e a d e r s i n t r a n s i t a t a c u l t u r a l j u n c t i o n p r e v i o u s l y u n e x p l o r e d i n t h i s c o u n t r y . The U n i t e d S t a t e s i s f i n a l l y a t peace w i t h what used t o be i t s g r e a t e s t a d v e r s a r y . We a r e l o o k i n g inward and we see much t h a t needs t o be done. Much of the d o i n g w i l l be up t o you and t h e p e o p l e who j o i n you i n commencement ceremonies a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y today. I am a p h y s i c i a n . From my p e r s p e c t i v e I can see us c r o s s i n g a j u n c t i o n between c o n v e n t i o n a l m e d i c i n e o f our a n c e s t o r s and the m e d i c i n e of tomorrow. We a r e a c q u i r i n g new t o o l s , r a i s i n g new g u e s t i o n s , opening new p o s s i b i l i t i e s f o r b o t h l i f e and l i v e l i h o o d . And w i t h w o r l d t e n s i o n s reduced we are a t a p o i n t i n h i s t o r y where, a f t e r many decades of world-wide a n g u i s h and c o n f l i c t , i t f i n a l l y may be p o s s i b l e t o t u r n s c i e n c e t o t h e permanent s e r v i c e of l i f e i t s e l f . Chances a r e t h i s w i l l o c cur here i n the U n i t e d S t a t e s f i r s t . F l a g w a v i n g hasn't been waving p o p u l a r p a s t t i m e a t u n i v e r s i t i e s f o r a l o n g t i m e . But perhaps i t s h o u l d be. L e t me t e l l you a s t o r y . R e c e n t l y I saw a r e p o r t on CNN about a m e n t a l h o s p i t a l f o r c h i l d r e n and a d o l e s c e n t s i n Moscow. Under g l a s t n o s t cameras were a l l o w e d t o f i l m t h e s e g o o d l o o k i n g k i d s d o c i l e l y l i n i n g up t o g e t t h e i r heavy doses o f t r a n q u i l i s e r s and o t h e r n e u r o p h a r m a c e u t i c a l s t h r e e times a day. The head o f t h e R u s s i a n h o s p i t a l acknowledged t h a t most of t h e s e k i d s were t h e r e f o r r e l a t i v e l y minor b e h a v i o r a l i n f r a c t i o n s t h a t we might c a l l here " b e i n g a teenager" -- i n f r a c t i o n s l i k e r u n n i n g away from home, not g o i n g t o s c h o o l o r s n i f f i n g g l u e . Very few had m e d i c a l l y d e f i n e d p s y c h i a t r i c i l l n e s s e s . The r e p o r t e r asked th e head of t h e m ental h o s p i t a l , who h i m s e l f was c r i t i c a l o f t h e p r a c t i c e , how t h i s c o u l d p o s s i b l y be t o l e r a t e d . He r e p l i e d , " You must understand t h a t i n our system of governmnet we do not v a l u e t h e i n d i v i d u a l , o n l y t h e group. T h i s t r e a t m e n t does not harm the group." I n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s we t a k e so u t t e r l y f o r g r a n t e d t h e f a c t t h a t we p l a c e as much v a l u e on t h e r i g h t s and w e l l b e i n g o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l as o f t h e group. The N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e s of H e a l t h i s a p u b l i c i n s t i t u t i o n i n our d e m o c r a t i c s o c i e t y and we v a l u e t h e w e l l - b e i n g and t h e c o n t r i b u t i o n s o f the i n d i v i d u a l . A t t h e NIH we never f o r g e t t h a t death and d i s e a s e don't happen t o a n a t i o n , t h e y happen t o i n d i v i d u a l s , one by one. And t h e l i f e of t h e i n d i v i d u a l i s paramont. At t h e NIH l i f e i s what we do. To s a f e g u a r d t h e l i v e s o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l s i n our s o c i e t y we a r e d e v e l o p i n g and u s i n g now g e n e t i c a l l y e n g i n e e r e d c a n c e r v a c c i n e s . We a r e engaged i n a work of d i s c o v e r y more adventurous and more p r o m i s i n g t h a t any e x p l o r e r has ever dreamed. We a r e mapping t h e human g e n o — t h e complex, g e n e t i c code t h a t makes us t h e i n d i v i d u a l s t h a t we a r e , from th e c o l o r o f our h a i r t o t h e way our b o d i e s work and why and how t h e y f a i l . NIH i s a l l about p e o p l e , d e d i c a t e d i n v e s t i g a t o r s w o r k i n g l o n g , h a r d days and n i g h t s t o advance th e q u a l i t y o f l i f e . Of your l i f e . We need young, b r i l l i a n t minds t o j o i n us. We need young peop l e i n s c i e n c e t o make the c h o i c e t o d a y t h a t can make a d i f f e r e n c e tomorrow. The n e x t g e n e r a t i o n of s c i e n c e i n t h i s c o u n t r y i s t h e h e i r t o t h e m e d i c i n e of d i s c o v e r y . The next g e n e r a t i o n , you, w i l l d e t e r m i n e m e d i c i n e ahead. We are i n t h e m i d s t of a r e v o l u t i o n i n b i o t e c h n o l o g y and t h e changes i t makes i n t h e l a b o r a t o r y w i l l make comparable changes i n t h e w o r k p l a c e . I t ' s not p o s s i b l e t o o v e r s t a t e t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f r a p i d l y t r a n s f e r r i n g m e d i c a l t e c h n o l o g y from t h e l a b t o t h e community. As you e n t e r t h e c u r r e n t j o b market you see u n c e r t a i n t y . But l o o k c l o s e r . You w i l l see o p p o r t u n i t y as w e l l . T h i n k back a l i t t l e . I n d u s t r y reworked t h e employment p r o f i l e of t h i s n a t i o n moving from th e farm t o t h e f a c t o r y . N a t i o n a l defense i n World War I I not o n l y expanded t h e need f o r i n d u s t r i a l workers, i t opened t h e d o o r s t o women i n t h e work f o r c e . Computer t e c h n o l o g y has t a k e n p e o p l e from th e assembly l i n e and put them i n t o t h e o f f i c e . I t ' s t r u e t h a t d i s r u p t i o n and u n c e r t a i n t y were p a r t o f each of those i n c r e d i b l e t r a n s i t i o n s but t h o s e same a b r a s i v e but b e n e f i c i a l f o r c e s t h a t have r e c o n f i g u r e d t h e American work f o r c e w i l l do so a g a i n . And b i o t e c h n o l o g y w i l l produce a whole new range of c a r e e r p o s s i b l i t i e s . We a l r e a d y know t h a t p h a r m a c e u t i c a l s , l a b o r a t o r y t e s t i n g , m e d i c a l t e c h n o l o g i e s and development have opened new employment doors t o you. I'm t a l k i n g about employment i n a whole new i n d u s t r y t h a t w i l l t a k e up as a s o u r c e o f n a t i o n a l economic s t r e n g t h t h e n e x t d i m e n s i o n of m a n u f a c t u r i n g . But even as a l l t h e advances are under way i n t h e s c i e n c e s o f l i f e , we a r e a d d r e s s i n g the q u e s t i o n l i f e r a i s e s about s c i e n c e . Those of you who may have r e a d " J u r a i s s i c P a r k " were exposed t o the f i c t i o n of g e n e t i c s gone mad. I n f a c t one of t h e c h a r a c t e r s i s made t o s a y , "We a r e w i t n e s s i n g t h e end o f t h e s c i e n t i f i c e r a . " We a r e n o t . We a r e w i t n e s s i n g t h e b e g i n n i n g of a new e r a i n s c i e n c e where the f o c u s i s l i f e , not d e s t r u c t i o n . Where e t h i c s and p u b l i c i n t e r e s t a r e companions wherever s c i e n c e goes. Those of you who choose t o go a l o n g as s c i e n t i s t s , p h y s i c i a n s or as a c t i v e , i n t e r e s t e d and i n f o r m e d members of t h e p u b l i c w i l l make s c i e n c e and our n a t i o n b e t t e r . S c i e n c e r e a l l y does u n d e r s t a n d how p r e c i o u s l i f e i s and t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t h a t s c i e n c e has t o the f u t u r e . A month ago newspapers c a r r i e d a s t o r y o f f o u r s c i e n t i s t s a t t h e V a s o l o v I n s t i t u t e d u r i n g t h e c r u e l w i n t e r of 1941 a t what i s now S t . P e t e r s b u r g . The temperature dropped t o 40 below. They were under c o n t i n u o u s bombardment by N a z i f o r c e s and t h e y were s t a r v i n g t o death. But those s c i e n t i s t s d i e d p r e s e r v i n g seeds, seeds of more than 40,000 food c r o p s so t h a t t h e y would be a v a i l a b l e t o f u t u r e g e n e r a t i o n s . They were c a l l e d m a rtyrs f o r b i o d i v e r s i t y . They u n d e r s t o o d s c i e n c e . They u n d e r s t o o d l i f e . And t h e y put a l l t h e y had i n t o l i f e . I know t h e Ohio S t a t e f a m i l y a l s o has reason r e c e n t l y t o l o o k a t s c i e n c e , t o l o o k a t l i f e , and how much a p e r s o n c o u l d put i n t o i t . E l i z a b e t h Gee had a l l t h e courage and more t h a n any one c o u l d ask. She was a w o n d e r f u l p e r s o n , l o v e l y , w i t t y and s t r o n g . The chairman of t h e Board of T r u s t e e s s a i d a t her death l a s t December, "She has t a u g h t us a l o t about l i f e . " As I s a i d e a r l i e r l i f e i s what we are a l l about a t NIH. Our work was not y e t advanced enough t o save h e r . But we w i l l save o t h e r s , when you u n d e r s t a n d t h a t NIH i s a l l about th e E l i z a b e t h Gees, t h a t i s , s a v i n g a p r e c i o u s human l i f e , t h e n you r e a l l y u n d e r s t a n d the NIH and our noble m i s s i o n . Some 18 months ago she t o l d an i n t e r v i e w e r , " I f you don't a c c e p t t h e c h a l l e n g e , you become a v i c t i m . " E l i z a b e t h Gee a c c e p t e d the c h a l l e n g e . Her l i f e ended b e f o r e s c i e n c e c o u l d s o l v e her problem but she was not a v i c t i m . She f i l l e d h er l i f e w i t h a f f i r m a t i o n , w i t h l o v e and w i t h advancement. The t h r i l l of l i v i n g never stopped u n t i l h e r t i m e f o r l i v i n g d i d . As you g r a d u a t e no doubt you a r e f i l l e d w i t h a n x i e t i e s about l i v i n g . You l i f e , your c a r e e r , y o u r l o v e s and y o u r a s p i r a t i o n s . As a p h y s i c i a n who has been d e e p l y p r i v i l e g e d t o share t h e p r o f o u n d moments of p e o p l e ' s l i v e s , i n c l o s i n g l e t me propose t o you t h e u l t i m a t e measure of l i v i n g . When you a r e a t your l a s t hour on t h e w o r l d ' s s t a g e , as Shakespeare put i t , no m a t t e r who you are o r what you may have a c h i e v e d , what w i l l be on y o u r mind w i l l be t h e people you have l o v e d and t h e l i v e s you have touched and those who have l o v e d you. That i s t h e u l t i m a t e measure of a worthy l i f e and, i n d e e d , t h a t i s t r u l y how l i f e goes on. G r e a t l i f e t o each o f you. 

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