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The original documents are located in Box D16, folder "South High School, June 11, 1964"
of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
South High June 11, 1964
A DAY IN JUNE
To the class of 1964 I express my congratulations and
best wishes. Your kindness in inviting me to be with you
today is deeply appreciated. As a graduate of South High
in the Class of 1931 it is always a pleasure to return on
the significant day in June knowNas "Commencement" or
"Graduation."
Graduation from high school is a land mark in any per-
son's life. It is the day signifying accomplishment and
a day signifying a new beginning. It's, therefore, a joy-
ous and a meaningful day. It is a day in June when "if "if
ever there come perfect days; then heaven tries earth if
it be in tune, and over it softly her warm ear lays."
I trust that on this day these words from James Russel
Lowell are loved by all of you. I trust that in the past
three or four years you have developed that appreciation
of poetry and that respect for literary excellence which
GERALD
Digitized from Box D16 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-2-
80 enriches the lives of all of us. It doesn't have to
be Lowell; it can be Milton with that wonderful line, "They
also serve who only stand and wait." Then you may enjoy
such a simple ditty as,
I never saw a Purple Cow;
I never hope to See One;
But I can tell you, Anyhow,
I'd rather See than Be one.
In the school days now concluded we hope that you have found
that, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever," and that these
literary bits could be recalled from time to time to add
pleasure to our everyday existence.
But with this knowledge of the poets and other lit-
erary giants we trust that you have learned how to write
clearly a simple letter and that in addition you will not
forget to put your return address someplace on the paper.
Too many letters come to my office and I'm sure to others
with the writer's address only on the envelope.
-3-
As we contemplate the past on this day in June we can
count among our blessings the life and work of a William
Brewster or a Father Marquette. We remember Valley Forge,
Gettysburg, and Pearl Harbor. I trust that there is in
the heart and mind of each of you a sincerity which can
appreciate the devotion of a Nathan Hale who regretted that
he had only one life to give for his country. May we al-
80 remember young Sam Davis who could have lived but
sealed his doom when he said, "I would rather die a thousand
deaths than once betray a friend."
Today I hope that you can clearly recall John Han-
cock's leadership in 1776 and James Madison's momentous
work in 1787. Then there was Thomas Jefferson and "we
hold these truths," and Abraham Lincoln "with malice to-
ward none." There is the Muse-Argonne in World War I
and Mount Suribachi in the last World War. There is
Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver. As we look
ahead today we trust that these names, places, and events,
-4-
stirring as they are, have been used to build within each
of you a love for that common heritage which we all possess
and which draws all of us together into one strong and
good family of Americans.
You've become familiar with Archimedes' principle
and Boyles' law and the theory of relativity. This is
all so good and necessary but we hope that the young men
can also repair a leaky faucet and change a tire and the
young ladies can darn a sock and cook a bit.
Many of you have done your geometry well, have mas-
tered trigonometry and differential equations - and
nothing can be more important in this scientific age as
our nation zooms upward in the age of space and beyond.
But I hope that by this day in June you have also ac-
quired some knowledge on how many feet it takes to stop
a heavy car going 50 miles an hour, and have learned the
undeniable fact that two automobiles can't occupy the same space
-5-
at the same time.
As a Member of Congress you would expect me to empha-
size an interest in government and politics. I do hope
that you understand the three branches of our government,
that you can name important officials, and that you know
how our system of checks and balances works under our fed
eral constitution. I hope that you know and are ready and
eager to practice all the qualities of good citizenship.
I trust, that you are thoroughly familiar with the Bill of
Rights and are staunch in your defenseof them. But, my
friends, I hope, too, that you are just as familiar with
the Ten Commandments and more importantly use them in
your heart and mind as guidelines in your daily life.
Some years ago high school students throughout the
country were asked without prior warning to write a para-
graph on the topic "What Democracy Means to Me." Over 70
percent mentioned all the rights and privileges of which
we are justly proud. Regrettably, however, only a few
GERALD
ARV.
-6-
said anything about the obligations and duties of a citizen.
Yet we know that every right, every privilege is accompanied
with corresponding dutées and responsibilities.
Some of you have learned to conjugate verbs in a
foreign tongue and know the habits and customs of people
all around the globe. This, too, is good and desirable
provided of course have also learned to say "please" and
"thank you" in our own language and to show a sincere res
pect for our parents, our elders, our classmates. That
is one of the distinguishing marks of truly sensitive and
educated citizens.
On this day in June we glance backward only briefly
for the past is gone and can only be recalled in memory.
Today we cherish that past, we learn from that past, but
now we must take the forward look. What now? What can
we glean from the wisdom of the ages that is worth mention-
ing on this day in June 80 significant in the lives of each
-7-
of us. Without attempting to summarize all wisdom nor to
touch on every basic principle of life, I would like to
share five thoughts with the members of the 1964 graduat-
ing class.
First:
"The Moving Finger writes; and having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety or Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Work of it."
(Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam)
Given to us over 1000 years ago by a Persian poet who re-
presented a philosophy of fatalism which we do not accept,
the wisdom of his statement is proved over and over again.
Just recently there was in my office a young man with
his wife and infant som, The young man was in desperate
need of employment so that he could continue his college
education and support his family. He had tried private
industry and the federal government but was passed over again
-8-
and again. The Federal Civil Service Commission requires
the prospective employee to fill out the Standard Form 57.
On this form the applicant is asked to list any arrest other
than parking violations. This young man had been arrested
on two different occasions while serving in the Armed Forces.
These convictions were not too serious, but sufficiently
significant to have him passed over by the employment officials
and others taken when there was a job opportunity. "The
Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on..."
This man was now deeply repentant, disturbed, but he could
not change the record. The personnel officers to whom he
applied always pointed out that his behavior pattern made
his employment too great a risk for them, especially when
there ware others available who have no such pattern of
misadventure.
Let me give you one more illustration. During my
years in Congress many men who served during World War II
-9-
have come to our office literally begging that something
be done to change the discharge they received from the
Armed Services. Here is a father of four fine children,
some of them in high school. He is employed in a res-
ponsible position by his company. He may have an oppor-
tunity for advancement, but he lives in constant fear that
his children and his employer will learn about this dis-
honorable discharge from the Army.
Now the Army does
make provision for altering discharges when it can be
proved that an error was made. But in this case and in
most cases there was no error; the man deserved the type
of discharge he received because of his record in the Army.
It cannot be changed. "The Moving Finger writes, and,
having writ, Moves on..."
On this day in June we can do nothing to change our
past record, but we can do everything to insure that our
record from now on will be one which will never embarrass
-10-
fur
us or loved ones and never cause us any difficulty. In
1
the future we can guide the "Moving Finger" 80 that it writes
a record of accomplishment of which each of us can be proud.
Secondly I would like to stress the fact that "It is
the little things that count." The story has been told
of a man who some years ago walked across Americanfrom
California to New York. When he had completed the journey,
a newspaper reporter askedhim, "What was your greatest
difficulty? Was it the mountains, the plains, the rivers
-- what was your greatest difficulty? To which the man
replied; "It was neither the mountains, nor the plains,
nor the rivers; my greatest difficulty was with the sand
in my shoes." Yes, it is the little things that count.
Some time ago following the death of Speaker Sam Ray-
burn the House of Representatives had to elect a new Speaker.
There were a number of candidates, among them a very com-
petent gentleman who was not elected. One of his colleagues
remarked: "I have served with him in the House of Representatives GERA
-11-
for seven years and he never spoke to me. I am not voting
for him for this high office now."
So often it is the little things, the words spoken or
not spoken, the simple act done or not done, which make
the big difference: how we talk to our parents; how we
react to the orders of the boss; how we treat the next door
neighber. Not too many of us will have an opportunity to
make the great decisions involving the welfare of thousands
or millions of people. Only a few thousand out of 200
million Americans will do the great deeds of the next few
decades. But all of us will be doing little things --
little things every day -- which help or hinder other
people, little things which give us a finer community or
a sadder place in which to live. It is the little things
that really count. I suggest that we give attention to
them - now and in the future.
It is the little things of life that add up to the
whole. And I presume that one thing which all of us seek
-12-
can be summarized in the word "happiness." The libraries
and the book shelves are filled with books on how to obtain
peace of mind, or peace of soul, how to stop worrying and
start living; in other words, how to achieve happiness. Let
us think together for a moment on the personal quest for
happiness.
Dr. Elton Trueblood, Professor of Philosophy at Earl-
ham College who served as an advisor to President Eisenhower,
has written extensively on this important subject. Dr.
Trueblood points out that: "Blasphemous as it may sound to
our generation, peace of mind is not the ultimate ideal in
the life of the individual." Peace of mind may exist on
many levels. For instance, the self-righteous man who is
sure of his virtues may have peace of mind. Another may
find peace of mind after he has had a sumptuous dinner and
has sat down with his pipe. "But," says Dr. Trueblood,
"There are many conditions under which men ought not to
have peace of mind and under which a good man will not have it." "
-13-
He goes 80 far as to charge that "our very concern for per-
sonal happiness is really one of the chief symptoms of
our moral disease" and then points out that "our heroes
are men and women who have cared about justice or truth and
have not even raised the happiness question at all."
But Dr. Trueblood contends that the proper type of
happiness is a desireable goal, and outlines a means of
achieving that goal. He points out that "to obtain happi
ness one must forget about it." Happiness is not attain-
ed by enjoying the good meal and a pipe, nor is it obtain-
ed by a wild quest of pleasure of one type or another, nor
does it come from an accumulation of things. Happiness is
a by-product of full and active participation in a cause
greater than ourselves. "Few joys," says Dr. Trueblood,
"are greater than the job of participation in a dedicated
group, and this is the boon which we ought to covet for all
men and women." This by-product, happiness, is something
which we probably see only in retrospect as we look back
-14-
upon a life or period of life in which we were actively
engaged in a good cause and can say "then I was happy." Dr.
Trueblood goes on to make the point that the "best cause
is that cause which harms no other person and which is big
enough to require and consequently unite all of our powers."
On the negative side I think Dr. Trueblood also makes
a contribution to thought in this area. He agrees that
there are many causes for unhappiness. Among these can be
listed poor health, misfortune, or the lack of money and
material necessities. But then he makes this striking
statement: "Man can bear great physical and spiritual
hardship but what he cannot bear is the sense of meaning-
lessness.... The ultimate enemy is not pain or disease or
physical hardship, evil as these may be, but triviality."
So much unhappiness comes because we do not feel that the
work we are in, or the efforts we are putting forth, are
truly meaningful and significant.
GERALD
-15-
If this is true, and I believe it is, those who are grad-
uating here today have the task of so directing their lives
that they find for themselves useful and meaningful act-
ivity, that they obtain satisfying work. As Dr. Trueblood
summarizes it: "There are many unhappy and frustrated
people in the world but not many of them are persons who
have found ways. of productive work." Happiness cannot be
bought but it comes freely to those who discover for them-
selves meaningful work and useful service.
This leads me to my fourth thought - "The Greater
Vision." There must be a greater vision; the moving finger
writes, little things count, personal happiness can be
achieved, but there must remain the greater vision. Just
as this world grew and developed enormously before any of
us arrived, so is there in it today a vast area and a throng
of people of many races, creeds, and nations far beyond the
reaches of our home, our community, our state, our country.
We live in this world and we must see it for what it is.
GERALD
-16-
We see the major conflict, the great struggle, on the
international scene between the forces of communism and
the forces of freedom. This is a conflict which may or
may not be resolved in our lifetime. But it is one which
challenges us and challenges our way of life. Do we have
something worth preserving, worth fighting for, or is our
possession so transient, of such little value that it can
be diluted and destroyed with impunity? Do we have here
in our country and in the free world, social and political
institutionswhich permit the best in man to develop, and
grants to all, or to nearly all, the finest opportunities
that any human has ever enjoyed. I am convinced we do have
something worth preserving, worth working for and worth fight-
ing for. Our way of life has meant wonderful opportunities
for the mental, spiritual, and emotional development of man
and has given to men the highest standards of living the
world has ever known. I trust that in our better moments
we can see the greater vision and be grateful that we are
CERADO
-17-
living in times such as these which do provide a challenge
but also assure to each of us the best that has ever been
known to man.
Because of this greater vision Americans today are
fighting, unselfishly and manfully, in distant lands to
help a far-away people preserve their freedom, and to
help a free world remain free.
Because of this greater vision there is being debat-
ed in the United States Senate this month legislation which
aims to assure to all American citizens the rights and priv-
ileges and responsibilities of American citizenship. This
is no easy task, there are no easy answers; but in our better
moments when wesare most honest with ourselves, we can all
agree that all responsible American citizens should enjoy
all the rights of responsible American citizenship. The
greater vision calls for us to look beyond ourselves, be-
yond our family, our community, our state, even beyond our
nation to see what we can do to build a better world for
CERALD
-18-
all mankind. Selfishness, greed, the abuse of power will
always be with us, but men of good will working together
can hold in check many of the forces of evil.
As the poet has said:
"Truth forever on the scaffold
Wrong forever on the throne
Yet that scaffold sways the future." "
You who are graduating here, along with those who are
graduating in every high school throughout our land, hold
in your hands one of the keys to the greater vision for
the world of tomorrow. While individually you may not
believe your influence is great, collectively the entire
answer rests with you.
We are told that in a certain village in Europe there
lived a man well along in years who had a reputation for
sagacity and wisdom. One day some youngsters, undoubtedly
a bit cynical, came to him with a bird in hand and this
question. "Is this bird alive or dead?" The old man
GERALD
-19-
recognized his dilema; if he saad the bird were dead the
boy could open his hand, release the bird to fly away,
proving the old man wrong. If the old man said he is
alive, the boy simply had to crush the bird in his hand
and present a lifeless creature. So the man in his wis-
dom replied, "It is as you will."
So my young friends the future is as you will, as you
and all those like you choose to make it.
"Not gold, but only men, can make
A nation great and strong;
Men who, for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men, who work while others sleep,
Who dare, while others fly,
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky!"
-Emerson
GERAL
-20-
I come now to my parting thought. As we receive our
diplomas and leave high school days behind, let us turn
our hearts and minds toward "whatsover things are true."
With Paul of Tarsus let us take the grand look and con-
struct the grand design. I leave you with his noble ad-
monition:
"Whatsoever things are true,
Whatsoever things are honorable,
Whatsoever things are just,
Whatsoever things are lovely,
Whatsoever things are of good report;
If there be any virtue, if there be any praise:
Think on these things."
As a man thinketh in This heart so is he. Let us fill
our hearts and our minds with the true, the honorable, the
just, the pure and the lovely that we may live on the nobler
plain to serve ourselves, our God, and our fellowmen. Yours
GERALD
-21-
is the accomplishment, yours is the reward, yours is the
challenge, yours is the future. With God's help, "It
is as you will."
GERALD
South High School
June 11, 1964
A Day in June
To the class of 1964 I express my congratulations and best wishes. Your
kindness in inviting no to be with you today is deeply appreciated. As a
graduate of South High in the Class of 1931 it is always a pleasure to return
on the significant day in June known as "Commendement" or "Graduation."
Graduation from high school is a landmark in any person's life. It is
the day signifying accomplishment and a day signifying a new beginning. It's
therefore, a joyous and a meaningful day. It is a day in June when "if ever
there come perfect days; then heaven tries earth if it be in tune, and over it
softly her warm ear lays."
I trust that on this day these words from James Russel Lowell are loved
by all of you. I trust that in the past three or four years you have developed
that appreciation of poetry and that respect for literary excellence which so
enriches the lives of all of us. It doesn't have to be Lowell; it can be
Milton with that wonderful line, "They also serve who only stand and wait."
Then you may enjoy such a simple ditty as,
I never sav a Purple Cow;
I never hope to See One:
But I can tell you, Anyhow,
I'd rather See than Be one.
In the school days now concluded we hope that you have found that, "A thing
of beauty is a joy forever," and that these literary bits could be recalled from $
time to time to add pleasure to our everyday existence.
GERALD
&
But with this knowledge of the poets and other literary giants ve trust
that you have learned how to write clearly a simple letter and that in addition
you will not forget to put your return address someplace on the paper. Too many
letters come to my office and I'm sure to others with the writer's address only on
the envelope.
As ve contemplate the past on this day in June we can count among our
blessings the life and work of a William Brewster or a Father Marquette. We
remember Valley Forge, Gettysburg, and Pearl Harbor. I trust that there is in the
heart and mind of each of you a sincerity which can appreciate the devotion of
a Nathan Hale who regretted that he had only one life to give for his country.
May we also remember young Sam Davis who could have lived but sealed his doom
when he said, # I would rather die a thousand deaths than once betray a friend."
Today I hope that you can elearly recall John Hancock's leadership in
1776 and James Madison's momentous work in 1787. Then there was Thomas Jefferson
and "ve hold these truths," and Abraham Lincoln "with malice toward none." There
is the Mase-Argonne in World War I and Mount Suribachi in the last World War. There
is Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver. As we look ahead today we trust
that these names, places, and events, stirring as they are, have bean used to
build within each of you a love for that common heritage which ve all possess
and which draws all of us together into one strong and good family of Americans.
You've become familiar with Archimedes' principle and Boyles' law and
the theory of relativity. This is all so good and necessary but ve hope that the
young men can also repair a leaky faucet and change a tire and the young ladies
can darn a sock and cook a bit.
Many of you have done your geometry well, have mastered trigonometry and
differential equations - and nothång can be more important in this scientific age
as our nation sooms upward in the age of space and beyond. But I hope that by
GER
LIBRARY
-3-
this day in June you have also acquired some knowledge on how many feet it
takes to stop a heavy car going 50 miles an hour, and have learned the undeniable
fact that two automobiles can't occupy the same space at the same time.
As a Member of Congress you would expect me to emphasise an interest
in government and polities. I do hope that you understand the three brenches of
our government, that you can name important officials, and that you know how
our system of checks and balances works under our federal constitution. I
hope that you know and are ready and eager to practice all the qualities of
good stätesenship. I trust, that you are thoroughly familiar with the Bill of
Rights and are staunch in your defense of them. But, my friends, I hope, too,
that you are just as familiar with the Ten Commandments and more importantly use
them in your heart and mind as guidelines in your daily life.
Some years ago high school students throughout the country were asked
without prior warning to write a paragraph on the topic "What Democracy Means to
Me." Over TO percent mentioned all the rights and privileges of which ve are
justly proud. Regrettably, however, only a few said anything about the obligations
and duties of a citizen. Yet we know that every right, every privilege is
accompanied with corresponding duties and responsibilities.
Some of you have learned to conjugate verbs in a foreign tongue and know
the habits and customs of people allæround the globe. This, too, is good and
desirable provided of course we have also learned to say "please" and "Thank you"
in our own language and to show a sincere respect for our parents, our elders,
our classmates. That is one of the distinguishing marks of truly sensitive and
educated citizens.
On this day in June ve glance backward only briefly for the past is
gone and can only be recalled in memory. Today we cherish that past, we learn
from that past, but now we must take the forward look. What nov? What Ban we
glean from the visdom of the ages that is worth mentioning on this day in June
so significant in the lives of each of us. Without attempting to summarise all
visdom nor to touch on every basic principle of life, I would like to share five
thoughts with the members of the 1964 graduating class.
First:
"The Moving Finger writes; and having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Picty or Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it."
(Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyan)
Given to us over 1000 years ago by a Persian post who represented a philosophy
of fatalism which we do not accept, the visdom of his statement is proved over
and over again.
Just recently there vas in my office a young man with his wife and infant
son. The young man vas in desperate need of employment so that he could continue
his college education and support his family. He had tried private industry and
the federal government but vas passed over again and again. The Federal Civil
Service Commission requires the prospective employee to fill out the Standard Form
57. On this form the applicant is asked to list any arrest other than parking
violations. This young man had been arrested on two different occasions while
serving in the Armed Forces. These convictions were not too serious, but sufficiently
significant to have him passed over by the employment officials and others taken
when there was a job opportunity. "The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves
on..."
-5-
This man was now deeply repentant, disturbed, but he could not change the record.
The personnel officers to whom he applied always pointed out that his behavior
pattern made his employment too great a risk for them, especially when there
were others available who have no such pattern of misadventure.
Let me give you one more illustration. During my years in Congress many men
who served during World Var II have come to our office literally begging that
something be done to change the discharge they received from the Armed Services.
Here is a father of four fine children, some of then in high school. He is
employed in a responsible position by his company. He may have an opportunity for
advancement, but he lives in constant fear that his children and his employer will
learn about this dishonorable discharge from the Army. Now the Army does make
provision for altering discharges when it can be proved that an error vas made.
But in this case and in most cases there vas no error; the man deserved the type
of discharge he received because of his record in the Army. It cannot be changed.
"The Moving Fanger writes, and, having writ, Moves on..."
On this day in June we can do nothing to change our past record, but we
can do everything to insure that our record from now on will be one which will
never embarrass us or our loved ones and never cause us any difficulty. In the
future we can guide the "Noving Finger" so that it writes a record of accon-
plishment of which each of us can be proud.
Secondly I would like to stress the fact that "It is the little things
that count." The story has been told of a man who some years ago walked across
America from California to New York. When he had completed the journey, a newspaper
reporter asked him, "What was your greatest difficulty? Was it the mountains, the
plains, the rivers - what was your greatest difficulty" To which the man replied;
It was neither the mountains, nor the plains, nor the rivers; my greatest difficulty
vas with the sand in my shoes." Yes, it is the little things that count,
GENALD
TORARY
-6-
Some time ago following the death of Speaker San Reyburn bille House of
Representatives had to elect a new Speaker. There were a number of candidates,
among them a very competent gentleman who vas not elected. One of his colleagues
remarked: "I have served with him in the House of Representativesffor seven years
and he never spoke to me. I am not voting for him for this high office now."
So étten it is the little things, the words spoken or not spoken, the
simple act done or not done, which nake the big difference: how ve talk to our
parents; how we react to the orders of the boss; how ve treat the next door
neighbor. Not too many of us will have an opportunity to make the great decisions
involving the velfare of thousands or millions of people. Only a few thousand out
of 200 million Americans will do the great deeds of the next few decades. But all
of us will be doing little things - little things every day ---- which help or
hinder other people, little things which give us a finer community or a sadder
place in which to live. It is the little things that really count. I suggest that
we give attention to them - now and in the future.
It is the little things of life that add up to the whole. And I presume
that one thing which all of us seek can be summarised in the word "happiness."
The libraries and the book shelves are filled with books on how to obtain peace of
mind, or peace of soul, how to stop worryang and start living; in other words,
how to achieve happiness. Let us think together for a moment on the personal
quest for happiness.
Dr. Elton Trueblood, Professor of Philosophy at Earlham College who served
as an advisor to President Eisenhower, has written extensively on this important
subject. Dr. Trueblmod points out that: "Blasphemous as it may sound to our
generation, peace of mind is not the ultimate ideal in the life of the individual."
Peace of mind may exist on many levels. For instance, the self-righteous man who
is sure of his virtues may have peace of mind. Another may find peace of mind
BRARY
-7-
after he has had a sumptuous dinner and has set down with his pipe, "But," says Dr.
TrueblecH,, "There are many conditions under which men ought not to have peace of
mind and under which a good ann will not have it." He goes so far as to charge
that "our very concern for personal happiness is really one of the chief symptoms
of our moral disease" and then points out that "our heroes are men and women who
have cared about justice or truth and have not even raised the happiness question
at all."
But Dr. Trueblood contends that the proper type of happiness is a desireable
goal, and outlines a means of achieving that goal. He points out that "to obtain
happiness one must forget about it." Happiness is not attaineM by enjoying
the good meal and a pipe,nor is it obtained by a wild quest of pleasure of one
type or another, nor does it come from an accumulation of things. Happiness is
a by-product of full and active participation in a cause greater than ourselves.
"Few joys," says Dr. Trueblood, "are greater than the job of participation in a
dedicated group,end this is the boon which we ought to covet for all men and
women." This by-product, happiness, Ramesomehhing which we probably see only in
retrospect as we look back upon a life or period of life in which ve were actively
engaged in a good cause and can say "then I was happy." Dr. Trueblood goes on
to nake the point that the "best cause is that cause which harms no other person
and which is big enough to require and consequently unite all of our povers."
On the negative side I think Dr. Trueblood also makes a comtribution to
thought in this area. He agress that there are many causes for unhappiness. Among
these can be listed poor health, misfortune, or the lack of money and material
necessities. But then he makes this striking statement: "Man can bear great
physical and spiritual hardship but what he cannot bear is the sense of meaning-
lessness.... The ultimate enemy isnot pain or disease or physical hardship, evil as
these may be, but triviality." So much unhappiness comes because we do not feel
&
that the work we are in, or the efforts ve are putting forth, are truly
meaningful and significant.
If this is true, and I believe it is, those who are graduating here today
have the task of so directing their lives that they find for themselves useful
and meaningful activity, that they obtain satisfying work. As Dr. Trueblood
summarizes it: There are many unhappy and frustrated people in the world but not
many of them are persons who have found ways of productive work." Happiness cannot
be bought but it comes freely to those who diseover for themselves meaningful work
and useful service.
This leads me to my fourth thought - "The Greater Vision." There must be
a greater vision; the noving finger wittes, Aittle things count, personal happintes
can be achieved, but there must remain the greater vision. Just as this world grov
and developed enormonsly before any of us arrived, so is there in it today a vast
area and a throng of people of many races, creeds, and nations far beyond the
reaches of our home, our community, our state, our country. We live in this world
and we must see it for what it is.
We see the major conflict, the great struggle, on the international scene
between the forces of communism and the forces of freedom. This is a conflict which
may or may not be resolved to our lifetime. But it is one which challenges us and
challenges our way of life. Do we have something worth preserving, worth fighting
for, or is our possession so transient, of such little value that it can be diluted
and destroyed with impunity? Do ve have here in our country and in the free world,
social and political institutions which permit the best in man to develop, and grants
to all, or to nearly all, the finest opportunities that any himan has ever enjoyed.
I am convinced ve do have something worth preserving, worth working for and worth
fighting for. Our way of life has meant wonderful opportunities for the mental,
8
spiritual, and emotional development of man and has given to men the highest GERA standards
RAR
-9-
of living the world has wer known. I trust that in our better moments ve can
see the greater dsion and be grateful that we are living in times such as these
which do provide a challenge but also assure to each of us the best that has ever
been known to man.
Decause of this greater vision Americans today are fighting, unselfishly
and manfully, in distant lends to help a far-away people preserve their freedom,
and to help a freeworld remain free.
Because of this greater fision there is being debated in the United States
Senate this month legislation which aims to assure to all American citizens the
rights and privileges and responsibilities of American citizenship. This is no
easy task, there are no easy answers; but in our better moments when we are most
honest with ourselves, we can all agree that all responsible American citizens
should enjoy all the rights of responsible American citizenship. The -reater
vision calls for us to look beyond ourselves, beyond our family, our community,
our state, even beyond our nation to see what we can do to build a better world
for all mankind. Selfishness, greed, the abuse of power will always be with us,
but men of good will working together can hoad in check many of the forces of evil.
As the poet has said:
"Truth forever on the scaffold
Wrong forever on the throne
Yet that scaffold aways the future."
You une are graduating here, along with those who are graduating in every high school
throughout our land, hold in your hands one of the keys to the greater visitn for
the world of tomorrow. While individually you may not believe your influence is great,
collectively the entire answer rests with you.
GERALD FORD VIBRARY
-10-
We are told that in a certain village in Europe there lived a man well
along in years who had a reputation for sagacity and visdom. One day some
youngsters, undoubtedly a bit cynical, came to him with a bird in hand and this
question: "Is this bird alive or dead?" The old man recognized his dilemma; if
he said the bird were dead the boy could open his hand, release the bird to fly
away, proving the old man wrong. If the old man said he is alive, the boy simply
had to erush the bird in his hand and present a fifeless creature. So the man
in his wisdom replied, "It is as you will."
So my young friends the future is as you will, as you and all those like
you choose to make it.
"Not gold, but only men, can make
A nation great and strong;
Men visg,for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long."
Brave men, who work wile others sleep,
Who dare, while others fly,
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky!" - Emerson
I clame now to my parting thought. As we receive our diplomes and leave
high school days behand, let us turn our hearts and minds toward "whatsewver things
are true." With Paul of Tarsus let us take the grand look and construct the grand
design. I leave you with his noble admonition:
GERALD LIBRARY
-11-
"Whatsoever things are true,
Whatsoever things are homorable,
Whatsoever things are just,
Whatsoever things are lovely,
Whatsoever things are of good report;
If there be any virtue, if there be any praise:
Think on these things."
As a man thinketh in this heart so is he. Let us fill our hearts and
our minds with the true, the honorable, the just, the pure and the levely that we
may live on the mobler plain to serve ourselves, our God, and our fellowmen. Yours
is the accomplishment, yours is the reward, yours is the challenge, yours is the
future. With God's help, "It is as you will."
GERALD
A DAY IN JUNE
To the Class of 1964 I express my congratulations and best wishes.
Your kindness in inviting me to be with you today is deeply appreciated. As a
graduate of South High in the Class of 1931 it is always a pleasure to return
on the significant day in June known as "Commencement" or "Graduation."
Graduation from high school is a land mark in any person's life. It
is the day signifying accomplishment and a day signifying a new beginning.
It's, therefore, a joyous and a meaningful day. It is a day in June when " if
ever there come perfect days; then heaven tries earth if it be in tune, and over
it softly her warm ear lays."
I trust that on this day these words from James Russell Lowell are
loved by all of you. I trust that in the past three or four years you have
developed that appreciation of poetry and that respect for literary excellence
which so enriches the lies of all of us. It doesn't have to be Lowell; it can
be Milton with that wonderful line, "They also serve who only stand and wait."
Then you may enjoy such a simple ditty as,
I never saw a Purple Cow;
I never Hope to See One;
But I can tell you, Anyhow,
I'd rather See than Be one.
In the school days now concluded we hope that you have found that, "A thing of
beauty is a joy forever," and that these literary bits could be recalled from
time to time to add pleasure to our everyday existence.
But with this knowledge of the poets and other literary giants we trust
addition
that you have learned how to write clearly a simple letter and that you. will
Tor
not forget to put your return address someplace on the paper. So many letters
of I'm sume to others
come to my office with the writer's address only on the envelop.
1
BERAL R.FORD LIBRARY
2
As we contemplate the past on this day in June we can count among our
blessings the life and work of a William Brewster or a Father Marquette. We
remember Valley Forge, Gebrysburg, and Pearl Harbor. I trust that there is in
the heart and mind of each of you a sincerity which can appreciate the devotion
of a Nathan Hale who regretted that he only had one life to give for his country.
May we also remember young Sam Davis who could have lived but sealed his doom when
he said, "I" would rather die a thousand deaths than once betray a friend."
Today I hope that you can clearly recall John Hancock's leadership
in 1776 and James Madison's momentous work in 1787. Then there was Thomas
Jefferson and "we hold these truths" and Abraham Lincoln "with malice toward none."
There is the Muse-Argonne in World War I and Mount Suribachi in the last World War.
There is Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver. As we look ahead today we
trust that these names, places, and events, stirring as they are, have been used
to build within each of you a love for that common heritage which we all possess and
strong + good
which draws all of us together into one 1 family of Americans.
You've become familiar with Archimedes' principle and Boyles' law and the
all so mechang
the youg
theory of relativity. This 1s, good, but we hope that you can also repair a leaky
faucet and change a tire. t The young latin dam a wh + cork a bit,
Many of you have done your geometry well, have mastered trigonometry and
1
differential equations - and nothing can be more important in this
as one nation zooms upward an the age b space + beyond
acquired some
scientific age. But I hope that by this day in June you have also learned how
1
many feet it takes to stop a heavy car going 50 miles an hour and have learned
understand
the fact that two automobiles can't occupy the same space at the same intersection
at the same time.
BERALD R.PURD LIBRARY
As a member of Congress you would expect me to emphasize an interest in
governmentand politics. I do hope that you understand the three brances of our
3
can
government, that you/name important officials, and that you know how our system
WORKS
of checks and balances under our federal constitution works. I hope that you
know and are ready practice all the qualities of good citizenship. I trust,
& lager to
of are stanch in your defense ofthem
that you are thoroughly familiar with the Bill of Rights. But, my friends,
I hope, too, that you are just as familiar with the Ten Commandments and more surgestantly
use them in your heart + mind as guidelines in your daily life.
Some years ago high school students throughout the country were asked
without prior warning to write a paragraph on the topic "What Democracy Means
to Me." Over 70 percent mentioned all the rights and privileges of which we are
justly proud./ Regrettably, however, only a few said anything about the obligations
yet we know that
and duties of a citizen. ^ Very right, every privilege is accompanied with
corresponding duties and responsiblities.
Some of you have learned to conjugate verbs in a foreign tongue and
know the habits and customs of people all around the globe. This, too, is
become
good and desirable provided we have also learned to say "please" and "thank you"
in our own language and to show a sincere respect for our parents, our elders, our
classmates. That is one of the marks of truly sensitive and educated citizen$,
On this day in June we glance backward only briefly for the past is
gone and can only be recalled in memory. Today we cherish that past, we learn
from that past, but now we must take the forward look. What now? What can we
glean from the wisdom of the ages that is worth mentioning on this day in June
so significant in the lives of each of us. Without attempting to summarize all
wisdom nor to touch on every basic principle of life, I would like to share five
thoughts with the members of the 1964 graduating class.
GERALE R.EORD LIBRARY
4.
Find:
"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Work of it."
(Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam)
Given to us over 1000 years ago by a Persian poet who represented a philosophy
of fatalism which we do not accept, the wisdom of his statement is proved over
and over again.
Just recently there was in my office a young man with his wife and infant son. The
That could contraine his only education & support his family
young man was in desparate need of employment. He had tried private industry and
federal
the federal government but was passed over again and again. The Civil Service
1
Commission requires the prospective employee to fill out Standard Form 57.
On this form the applicant is asked to list any arrest other than $67 parking
violations. This young man had been arrested on two different occasions while
serving in the Armed Forces. These convictions were not too serious, but
by The employment
sufficiently significant to have him passed over, and others taken when there was
a job opportunity. "The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on. 10
This man was now deeply repentant, disturbed, but he could not change the record.
The personnel officers to whom he applied always pointed out that his behavior
pattern made his employment toogreat a risk for them, especially when there were
mesadvesture
others available who have no such pattern of micbohavier.
more
Let me give you one other illustration. During my years in Congress
many men who served during World War II have come to our office literally begging
they
that something be done to change the discharge 1 received from the armed services.
Here is a father of four fine children, some of them in high school. He is
employed in a responsible position by his company. He may have an opportunity
for advancement, but he lives in constant fear that his children and his
FORD is LIBRARY GERALD
5
employer will learn about this dishonorable discharge from the Army. Now the
Army does make provision for altering discharges when it can be proved that an
error was made. But in this case and in most cases there was no error; the man
deserved the type of discharge he received because of his record in the Army.
It cannot be changed. "The Moving Finger writes, and, having writ, Moves on. "
On this day in June we can do nothing to change our past record but we
can do everything to insure that our record from now on will be one which will
never embarrass us or our loved ones and never cause us any difficulty. In the
future we can guide the "Moving Finger" so that it writes a record of accomplishment
of which each of us can be proud.
Secondly I would like to stress the fact that "It is the little things
that count." The story has been told of a man who some years ago walked across
America from California to New York. When he had completed the journey a newppper
reporter asked him, "What was your greatest difficulty? Was it the mountains,
the plains, the rivers ---- what was your greatest difficulty?" To which the
man replied: "It was neither the mountains, nor the plains, nor the rivers; my
greatest difficulty was with the sand in my shoes." Yes, it is the little things
that count.
some ago
A
Collowing the death of Speaker Sam Rayburn the House of Representatives
had to elect a new Speaker. There were a number of candidates, among them a
very competent gentlemen who was not elected. One of his colleagues remarked:
"I have served with him in the House of Representatives for seven years and
he never spoke to me. I am not voting for him now for this high office."
So often it is the little things, the words spoken or not spoken, the
simple act done or not done, which makes the big differences: how we talk
FORD i LIBRARY GERALD
6
to our parents; how we react to the orders of the boss; how we treat the next door
neighbor. Not too many of us will have an opportunity to make the great decisions
involving the welfare of thousands or millions of people. Only a few thousand out
of 200 million American will do the great deeds of the next few decades, But all
of us will be doing little things -- little things every day -- which help or
give us
hinder other people, little things which make-a finer community or a sadder place
support that we
in which to live. It is the little things that really count. Give attention to
10
them now and in the future.
It is the little things of life that add up to the whole. And I presume
that one thing which all of] us seek can be summarized in the word "happiness."
The libraries and the book shelves are filled with books on how to obtain peace
of mind, or peace of soul, how to stop worrying and start living; in other words,
how to achieve happiness. Let us think together for a moment on the
personal quest for happiness.
Dr. Elton Trueblood, Professor of Philosophy at Earlham College who served
as an advisor to President Eisenhower, has written extensively on this important
subject. Dr. Trueblood points out that: "Blasphemous as it may sound to our
generation, peace of mind is not the ultimate ideal in the life of the individual."
Peace of mind may exist on many levels. For instance, the self-righteous man who
is sure of his virtues may have peace of mind. Another may find peace of mind
sumptions
after he has had a good dinner and has sat down with his pipe. "But," says Dr.
Trueblood, "There are many conditions under which men ought not to have peace of
mind and under which a good man will not have it." He goes so far as to charge that
"our very concern for personal happiness is really one of the chief symptoms of our
moral disease" and than e points out that "our heroes are men and women who have
GERALD LIBRARY
cared about justice or truth and have not even raised the happiness question at all."
7
contents
But Dr. Trueblood agrees that the proper type of happiness is a desirable goal,
and outlines a means of achieving that goal. He points out that "to obtain
happiness one must forget about it." Happiness is not attained by enjoying the
good meal and a pipe, nor is it obtained by a wild quest of pleasure of one type
or another, nor does it come from an accumulation of things. Happiness is a by-
product of full and active participation in a cause greater than outselves. "Few
joys," says Dr. Trueblood," are greater than the job of participation in a
dedicated group, and this is the boon which we ought to covet for all men and
women." This by-product, happiness, is something which we probably see only in
retrospect as we look back upon a life or period of life in which we were actively
engaged in a good cause and can say "then I was happy." Dr. Trueblood goes on to
make the point that the "best cause is that cause which harms no other person and
which is big enough to require and consequently unite all of our powers."
On the negative side I think Dr. Trueblood also makes a contribution to
thought in this area. He agrees that there are many causes for unhappiness. Among
these can be listed poor health, misfortune,or the lack of money and material
necessities. But then he makes this striking statement: "Man can bear great
physical and spiritual hardship but what he cannot bear is the sense of
meaninglessness. The utlimate enemy is not pain or disease or physical hardship,
evil. as these may be, but triviality." So much unhappiness comes because we do
not feel that the work we are in, or the efforts we are putting forth, are truly
meaningfúl and significant.
If this is true, and I believe it is, those who are graduating here today have
the task of so directing their lives that they find for themselves useful and
FORD
meaningful activity, that they obtain satisfying work. As Dr. Trueblood summarizes
ERAL
LIBRARY
it: "There are many unhappy and frustrated people in the world but not many of them
8
are persons who have found ways of productive work." Happiness cannot be bought
but it comes freely to those who discover for themselves meaningful work and useful
service.
This leadsme to my fourth thought - "The Greater Vision." There must be a
greater vision; the moving finger writes, little things count, personal happiness
can be achieved, butthere must remain the greater vision. Just as this world
grew and developed enormously before any of us arrived, so is there in it
today a vast area and a throng of people of many races, creeds, and nations far
beyond the reaches of our home, our community, our state, our country. We live in
the great stough,
this world and we must see it for what it is. We see the major conflict, on the
international scene between the forces of communism and the forces of freedom.
This is a conflict which may or may not be resolved in our lifetime. But is is
one which challenges us and challenges our way of life. Do we have something worth
preserving, worth fighting for, or is our possession so transient, of Isuch little
value that it can be diluted and destroyed with impunity? Do we have here in our
for world
country and in the West, social and political institutions which permit the best
in man to develop, and grants to all, or to nearly all, the finest opportunities
that any human has ever enjoyed. I am convinced we do have something worth
preserving, worth working for and worth fighting for. Our way of life has meant
wonderful opportunities for the mental, spiritual, and emotional development of man
and has given to men the highest standards of living the world has ever known. I
trust that in our better moments we can see the greater vision and be grateful that
we are living in times such as these which do provide a challenge but also assure
to each of us the best that has ever been known. to man
FORD is LIBRARY GERALD
9
Because of this greater vision Americans today are fighting, unselfishly
and manfully, in distant lands to help a far-away people preserve their freedom,
and to help a free world remain free.
Because of this greater vision there is being debated in the United States
Senate this month legislation which aims to assure to all American citizens the
rights and privileges and responsibilities of American citizenship. This is no
easy task, there are no. easy answers; but in our better moments when we are
most honest with ourselves,we can all agree that all responsible American citizens
should enjoy all the rights of responsible American citizenship. The greater vision
calls for us to look beyond ourselves, beyond our family, our community, our state,
even beyond our nation to see what we can do to build a better world for all mankind.
Selfishness, greed, the abuse of power will always be with us, but men of good will
working together can hold in check many of the forces of evil.
As the poet has said:
"Truth forever on the scaffold
Wrong forever on the throne
Yet that scaffold sways the future."
You who are graduating here, along with those who are graduating in every high school
throughout our land, hold in your hands one of the keys to the greater vision for the
world of tomorrow. Wile individually you may not believe your influence is great,
collectively the entire answer rests with you.
We are told that in a certain village in Europe there lived a man well along
in years who had a reputation for sagacity and wisdom. One day so me youngsters,
undoubtedly a bit cynical, came to him with a bird in hand and this question.
"Is this bird alive or dead?" The old man recognized his dilema: if he said the
RAL
LIBRARY
bird were dead the boy could open his hand, release the bird to fly away, proving
the old man wrong. If the old man said he is alive, the boy simply had to crush
10
the bird in his hand and present a lifeless creature. So the man in his wisdom
replied, "It is as you will."
those
So my young friends the future is as you will, as you and all shawe-like
Choocet
you make it.
"Not gold, but only men, can make
A nation great and strong;
Men who, for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men, who work while others sleep,
Who dare, while others fly,
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky!"
-Emerson
I come now to my parting thought. As we receive our diplomas and leave high school
days behind, let us turn our hearts and minds toward "whatsoever things are true."
With Paul of Tarsus let us take the grand look and construct the grand design. I
leave with you his noble admonition:
"Watsoever things are true,
Whatsoever things are honorable,
Whatsoever things are just,
Whatsoever things are pure,
Whatsoever things are lovely,
Whatsoever things are of good report;
If there be any virtue, if there be any praise:
Think on these things."
#
As a man thinketh in his heart so is he. Let us fill our hearts and our minds with
the true, the honorable, the just, the pure and the lovely that we may live on the
nobler plain to serve ourselves, our God, and our fellowmen. Yours is the
accomplishment, yours is the reward, yours is the challenge, yours is the future, BERALE
LIBRARY
With God's help, "It is as you will."