Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
4525948
label
Commencement Address, Ionia High School, June 9, 1966
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
4525948
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Commencement Address, Ionia High School, June 9, 1966
citationUrl
collections
Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
subjects
Education
Labor
iiifBase
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
4525948
coverageEndDate
logicalDate
1966-06-30
month
6
year
1966
coverageStartDate
logicalDate
1966-06-01
month
6
year
1966
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
url
mediaId
757df942a9a22bec
ocrText
The original documents are located in Box D20, folder "Commencement Address, Ionia
High School, June 9, 1966" 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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.
In process 2 getting an education -2 attended three graduation evercises -
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS--IONIA HIGH SCHOOL, JUNE 9, 1966
Smth
AS I RECALL MY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, I REMEMBER
THAT MOST OF MY CLASSMATES WERE CONCERNED WITH WHAT
that evening
THEY WERE GOING TO DO, AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
AND WERE HARDLY TINGLING WITH EXCITEMENT OVER WHAT THE
SPEAKER OF THE EVENING MIGHT SAY. IF THEY TALKED AT
ALL ABOUT THE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS THEY WERE ABOUT TO
HEAR, IT WAS TO WHISPER: "I SURE HOPE HE DOESN'T TALK
TOO LONG."
I DO HAVE SOME THINGS TO SAY TO YOU THIS EVENING,
BUT I TOO HOPE IT WON'T TAKE A VERY LONG TIME TO SAY THEM
YOUR NATURAL ITCHINESS TO BE OUT AND DOING REMINDS
FORD
ME OF AN EXPERIENCE ANOTHER CONGRESSMAN HAD JUST THIS
LIBRARY
Digitized from Box D20 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-2-
LAST MEMORIAL DAY. HE WAS TO BE THE MAIN SPEAKER AT
MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES IN HIS HOME TOWN. WHEN HE
ARRIVED AT THE SITE OF THE CEREMONY, THE PROGRAM CHAIR-
MAN HANDED HIM A NOTE. THE NOTE SAID, "OUR MEMORIAL
DAY PROGRAM INCLUDES A TALK BY THE MAYOR, A RECITATION
BY A STUDENT, YOUR SPEECH AND THEN THE FIRING SQUAD."
I HOPE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY TO YOU THIS EVENING DOES
NOT PROMPT YOU TO SAY, "HE SHOULD BE SHOT AT SUNRISE."
A FEW DAYS AGO I NOTICED A NEWSPAPER CARTOON WITH
as high school
THE UNMISTAKABLE MESSAGE THAT YOU, GRADUATES WILL BE
GOING OUT INTO A WORLD THAT IS A MESS.
THE DRAWING SHOWED A YOUNG FELLOW IN CAP AND GOWN
FORD
GAZING DISMALLY AT A WORLD THAT HAD BEEN SQUEEZED INTO
LIBRARY
-3-
on ocean
THE SHAPE OF A WELL-KNOWN SEA, CREATURE. THE CAPTION
UNDERNEATH THE CARTOON READ: "THE WORLD IS MY OYSTER."
THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER. BUT DESPITE THE CARTOONIST'S
FEELINGS ABOUT IT, THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE IT IS
AN IRRETRIEVABLE MESS.
IT MAY BE A FRIGHTENING WORLD IN MANY WAYS, BUT
ANYONE WHO ACTS OUT HIS LIFE ON THE PREMISE A BOMB MAY
FALL ON HIM THE NEXT DAY IS BEING JUST PLAIN FOOLISH.
BETTER TO TELL YOURSELF, I'M GOING TO LIVE 'TIL I DIE,
AND I'M GOING TO LIVE MY LIFE THE BEST WAY I KNOW HOW.
BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU THESE ARE GOOD TIMES IN
WHICH TO LIVE. THEY ARE MOMENTOUS TIMES, CHALLENGING
TIMES. THERE IS NO ROOM IN THEM FOR THE PERSON WHO
LIBRARY
-4-
and trittle his thumbs
IS INCLINED TO SIT AND, MOPE, IN A CORNER. BUT FOR HIM
WHO HAS DRIVE, WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS AND SETS OUT TO
GET IT, THESE ARE THE MOST EXCITING AND THE BEST OF
TIMES.
LET ME ASSURE YOU--YOU CAN'T MAKE FOOTPRINTS ON THE
SANDS OF TIME BY SITTING DOWN.
YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. IF
YOU FIT INTO THE NATIONAL PATTERN, ABOUT 7 PER CENT OF
YOU HAVE ACQUIRED A SKILL THROUGH VOCATIONAL TRAINING;
20 PER CENT OF YOU WILL GO ON TO COLLEGE AND EARN A
BACHELOR'S DEGREE. THE REST OF YOU WILL SEEK JOBS
REQUIRING ONLY GENERAL BACKGROUND AND TRAINING.
GERALD
LIBRARY
I TRUST THAT ONE OF THE DIVIDENDS OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOL
-5-
EDUCATION IS THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED HOW TO GET ALONG
WITH MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE. THIS IS IMPORTANT
NO MATTER WHAT FIELD OF WORK YOU ENTER.
YOU MUST HAVE GOOD WORK ATTITUDES AND GOOD WORK
HABITS. THIS KIND OF TRAINING, WHICH I AM SURE YOU
RECEIVED AT IONIA HIGH SCHOOL, IS THE BEST BASIC
PREPARATION FOR FUTURE EMPLOYMENT.
NOW I MUST ASK YOU A QUESTION WHICH FOR SOME PEOPLE
PROVES EMBARRASSING. HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW?
I ASK YOU THAT QUESTION BECAUSE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED
A SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS IN RECENT YEARS--THE NUCLEAR
EXPLOSION, THE POPULATI ON EXPLOSION AND NOW THE
KNOWLEDGE EXPLOSION.
-6-
one
THERE WAS A TIME IN AMERICA WHEN ALL YOU NEEDED TO
EARN A LIVING WAS A STRONG BACK AND A WILLING PAIR OF
HANDS. THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE.
NOT ONLY DO THE BEST JOBS GO TO THOSE WITH THE BEST
SKILLS AND EDUCATION, BUT THE PERSON WITHOUT AT LEAST
A HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION IS LIKELY TO FIND HIMSELF
UNEMPLOYABLE.
THERE IS TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUNG AMERICANS
IN THE WORLD OF WORK TODAY. BUT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE
THERE ONLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED, THOSE WHO HAVE
SOMETHING TO OFFER IN SKILLS OR KNOWLEDGE.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE MORE EDUCATION OR TRAINING
YOU HAVE, THE MORE YOU HAVE TO OFFER A PROSPECTIVE
EMPLOYER.
-7-
IT FOLLOWS THAT YOUR EDUCATION SHOULD NOT STOP NOW
THAT YOU ARE LEAVING HIGH SCHOOL. IDEALLY, AS MANY OF
YOU AS ARE ABLE TO BENEFIT BY IT SHOULD GO TO COLLEGE.
america
THIS IS BECOMING A NATION OF COLLEGE GRADUATES.
COMPETITION IS BECOMING EVER KEENER TO ENTER COLLEGE
to
AND OBTAIN A DEGREE.
1
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE NEARLY FIVE MILLION YOUNG
AMERICANS ENROLLED IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES--OR
ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF THE 18-T0-21 AGE GROUP. THAT
FIGURE IS FORECAST TO GROW TO 50 PER CENT OR LARGER
BY 1985. MOST PEOPLE NOW LIVING WILL SEE THE DAY WHEN
EVERY OTHER AMERICAN WILL BE A COLLEGE GRADUATE.
CIBRARY
THE TRUTH IS THAT IN ORDER TO ADJUST TO THE RAPID
-8-
CHANGES OF THIS TECHNICAL AGE IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING,
PEOPLE NEED TO ABSORB ALL THE BENEFITS THAT ONLY A
GOOD DEAL OF SCHOOLING CAN GIVE THEM.
AMERICA HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING FANTASTIC GROWTH.
ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRIES IS THE "KNOWLEDGE"
INDUSTRY.
WHAT IS THE "KNOWLEDGE" INDUSTRY? YOUR TEACHERS AND
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS ARE PART OF IT BECAUSE IT INCLUDES
THE FIELD OF EDUCATION--THE RETAILING OF OLD KNOWLEDGE
AND THE INSTILLING OF THE HABIT OF ACQUIRING FURTHER
KNOWLEDGE.
LIBRARY
IT ALSO INCLUDES THE PUBLISHING AND PRINTING BUSINESS.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, INFORMATION
-9-
MACHINES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WHICH PROVIDE ACCOUNTING,
ARCHITECTURAL, MEDICAL AND LEGAL INFORMATION TO BUSINESS-
MEN, AND THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY.
YOU MAY WELL FIND YOURSELF EMPLOYED BY THE "KNOWLEDGE"
INDUSTRY; BUT IN ANY CASE, YOU MUST NEVER STOP LEARNING.
YOU ALREADY KNOW MUCH MORE THAN THE AVERAGE MEMBER
OF THE LABOR FORCE DID IN 1930. YOU HAVE SPENT NEARLY
TWICE AS MANY DAYS IN SCHOOL.
AS I SAID BEFORE, THE UNSKILLED ARE HAVING TROUBLE
FINDING WORK EVEN IN TIME OF NEAR-CAPACITY EMPLOYMENT.
THE CURRENT AND FUTURE DEMAND IS FOR EDUCATED AND
TRAINED PEOPLE--AND THE DEMAND IN THESE CATEGORIES IS
GREATER THAN THE SUPPLY.
LIBRARY
-10-
THIS IS WHY I SAY THERE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR
YOU IF ONLY YOU ARE PREPARED OR WILL CONTINUE YOUR
SCHOOLING SO YOU CAN OPEN THOSE DOORS.
I HOPE YOU HAVE THOUGHT IN TERMS OF A WHOLE FIELD
OF WORK AND HAVE OBTAINED THE KIND OF EDUCATIONAL
BACKGROUND THAT WILL SERVE FOR A VARIETY OF JOBS IN
THAT FIELD.
I'M THINKING ABOUT THE HEALTH FIELD, FOR EXAMPLE,
WHERE YOU NEED AS MUCH SCIENCE AS POSSIBLE TO GROUND
YOU IN THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES THAT HOLD GOOD FOR
SEVERAL TECHNICAL JOBS.
FORD LIBRARY
THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF ALL KINDS OF HEALTH WORKERS,
AND THE SHORTAGE IS GETTING WORSE. WITH THE LAUNCHING
-11-
OF THE MEDICARE PROGRAM JULY 1, THIS CRISIS IS CERTAIN
TO BECOME EVEN MORE ACUTE.
FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO WORK IN THE HEALTH FIELD,
THERE ARE JOBS OPEN FOR X-RAY TECHNICIANS, THERAPISTS,
LABORATORY TECHNICIANS AND OTHERS. THERE ALSO IS A
NEED FOR DENTAL AND MEDICAL ASSISTANTS TO TAKE OVER
CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF DENTISTS AND PHYSICIANS,
AND FOR NURSES' AIDES AND PRACTICAL NURSES TO ASSIST
REGISTERED NURSES. I MIGHT NOTE THAT NURSE AIDE AND
PRACTICAL NURSE WORK REQUIRES A YEAR OR LESS OF TRAINING.
THERE ARE JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL OCCUPATIONS. EVEN
IN CROWDED FIELDS, THERE IS AMPLE ROOM FOR THE PERSON
WITH SOUND TRAINING AND GREAT AMBITION. BUT OF COURSE
LIBRARY
-12-
IT IS EASIER TO FIND JOBS IN FIELDS THAT ARE NEW OR
GROWING THAN IN THOSE THAT ARE STANDING STILL OR
SHRINKING.
IT'S EXPECTED THAT ABOUT 88.7 MILLION AMERICANS
WILL BE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED IN 1975, ABOUT 18.3 MILLION
MORE THAN IN 1964. THAT'S AN AVERAGE INCREASE OF
NEARLY 1.7 MILLION A YEAR.
WHERE WILL THEY ALL FIND JOBS? MOST WILL FIND WORK
IN THE FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRIES. IT WON'T BE BLUE-
COLLAR WORK.
GERALD LIDERAY
THE GREATEST INCREASE IN EMPLOYMENT WILL BE FOR
PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL WORKERS. MORE THAN 4-1/2
MILLION MORE PEOPLE WILL BE NEEDED FOR SUCH WORK BY 1975.
-13-
THE WHITE-COLLAR GROUP AS A WHOLE IS EXPECTED TO
EXPAND BY NEARLY TWO-FIFTHS AND TO CONSTITUTE 48 PER CENT
OF ALL MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS BY 1975.
THE BLUE-COLLAR OCCUPATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO GROW AT
LESS THAN HALF THIS RATE. THEY WILL MAKE UP ONLY ABOUT
34 PER CENT OF ALL REQUIREMENTS.
THE NEED FOR SERVICE WORKERS WILL EXPAND GREATLY
ALONG WITH THAT FOR PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL EMPLOYEES,
ABOUT 3.2 MILLION MORE SERVICE WORKERS WILL BE NEEDED.
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT WILL INCREASE SHARPLY. CON-
STRUCTION AND TRADE WILL ALSO MAKE UP A BIGGER SHARE
OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT.
LIBRARY
IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT IT, LET ME
-14-
URGE YOU TO CONSIDER GOING TO JUNIOR COLLEGE IF YOU
HAVE NOT PLANNED ON A FULL FOUR YEARS OR MORE IN
HIGHER EDUCATION.
A JUNIOR OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE CANGIVE YOU JUST THE
TRAINING YOU NEED FOR MANY OF THE OPPORTUNITY JOBS
THAT ARE GOING BEGGING TODAY.
THOSE OF YOU INTERESTED IN JOBS REQUIRING CERTAIN
TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING SHOULD EXPLORE WHAT
A JUNIOR COLLEGE CAN DO IN PREPARING YOU FOR CAREERS
IN X-RAY TECHNOLOGY, DATA PROCESSING, OFFICE MANAGEMENT
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
GERALD
LIBRARY
I HAVE TALKED LARGELY ABOUT THE WORLD OF WORK AND
THE FACT THAT SOCIETY TODAY IS DEMANDING SERVICES
-15-
WHICH CAN BE PROVIDED ONLY BY THOSE WITH SPECIAL
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE.
LET ME REMIND YOU IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE QUALIFIED
FOR LIFE NOT ONLY AS A TECHNICIAN OR A PROFESSIONAL
BUT ALSO AS A PERSON.
) the bey,
HOW DO YOU BECOME A PERSON? THE IMPORTANT CHARACTER-
ISTIC IS INTEGRITY. individual PERSONAL INTEGRITY IS A KEY fundamental
any
INGREDIENT IN MY FORMULA FOR SUCCESS.
WHAT FINER THING CAN ANYONE SAY ABOUT ANOTHER THAN
THAT HE OR SHE IS A PERSON OF INTEGRITY?
WHETHER OR NOT HE BORROWED THE WORDS FROM OTHERS,
THE GREAT PLAYWRIGHT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE PENNED MANY
LINES OF WISDOM. AMONG THEM ARE THE WORDS SPOKEN BY
-16-
POLONIUS TO HIS SON IN THE PLAY HAMLET. SAID POLONIUS:
"THIS ABOVE ALL: TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE,
AND IT MUST FOLLOW, AS THE NIGHT THE DAY,
THOU CANST NOT THEN BE FALSE TO ANY MAN."
I SPOKE TO YOU OF SUCCESS. WHEN I TALK OF SUCCESS,
I DO NOT TALK OF GETTING RICH. TRUE SUCCESS COMES IN
EARNING THE RESPECT OF OTHERS AND IN ACHIEVING
EMOTIONAL MATURITY. WITHOUT THAT SUCCESS, YOU CANNOT
FIND HAPPINESS. AND CERTAINLY HAPPINESS IS A PEAK OR
PINNACLE SOUGHT BY ALL.
THERE WILL COME A TIME FOR EACH OF YOU, I HOPE,
WHEN YOU WILL KNOW THE TRANQUILLITY THAT COMES WITH
ACHIEVING EMOTIONAL MATURITY, THE WONDERFUL CALM THAT
-17-
COMES WITH BEING AT PEACE WITH YOURSELF. THEN YOU CAN
TRULY SAY YOU HAVE TAMED THE TIGER IN YOUR TANK.
UNTIL THAT TIME COMES, I WISH YOU THE very BEST.
THANK YOU.
& & &
ORD LIDRARY