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	REMARKS TO OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT “THE NEXT STEP TOWARD SUCCESS: BUILDING A REPUTATION” STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA MAY 5, 1984 11 A.M.

IT’S AN HONOR TO SPEAK TO THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 1984.

I KNOW THE ANTICIPATION—AND RELIEF—YOU FEEL TODAY AS YOUR DEGREES ARE CONFERRED.

THIRTY-THREE YEARS AGO, I [Text stricken: STOOD IN YOUR SHOES.] [Handwritten addition: was here for my graduation.]

I WAS GRADUATING WITH A DEGREE IN GEOLOGY, AND I HAD A FAMILY.

THE JOB MARKET WAS POOR AT THAT TIME, AS IT IS NOW FOR MANY OF YOU.

AND I FELT FORTUNATE AS I LEFT OSU TO HAVE A JOB IN MY FIELD OF STUDY.

I HAD TAKEN MY EDUCATION SERIOUSLY. . .[Text stricken: AT LEAST, FOR THE MOST PART.] [Handwritten addition: as most of you have done.]

[Text stricken: GOOD PLACE FOR HUMOR]

BUT ONCE I LEFT THIS CAMPUS, I FOUND THAT LIFE BECAME EVEN MORE [Text stricken: SERIOUS AND THE REALLY HARD WORK HAD ONLY BEGUN.] [Handwritten addition: challenging.]

I THINK YOU WILL FIND THAT TRUE, AS WELL.

THE EDUCATION I RECEIVED AT OSU HAS [Text stricken: STOOD ME IN GOOD STEAD, AS I’M SURE YOURS WILL.] [Handwritten addition: served me well.]

I FEEL. . .AS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DID. . .THAT AN INVESTMENT IN KNOWLEDGE ALWAYS PAYS THE BEST INTEREST.

BUT IN THE MANY YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED SINCE I STOOD IN CAP AND GOWN. . .AS YOU DO TODAY. . .I HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE IS ANOTHER VERY CRUCIAL INVESTMENT THAT IS NEEDED TO ENSURE SUCCESS.

THAT INVESTMENT IS IN YOUR REPUTATION.

IT’S AN INVESTMENT THAT TAKES YEARS TO BUILD [Text stricken: AND GROW,] BUT THE RETURN IS WELL WORTH THE EFFORT.

YOUR REPUTATION FOR INTEGRITY, HARD WORK AND FAIR DEALING WILL BE YOUR GREATEST ASSET IN LIFE.

IT WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE TO YOU THAN ANY POSSESSION. [Handwritten addition: you might have.]

IT’S NOT DIFFICULT TO BUILD A GOOD REPUTATION IF YOU ADHERE TO GOOD PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT AND, MOST OF ALL, DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU’LL DO.

FOR IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO, IT IS TO LAY A WEAK FOUNDATION ON WHICH YOUR CHARACTER—IN THE EYES OF OTHERS—WILL BE BUILT.

IF A CRACK FORMS IN THAT FOUNDATION, YOU CAN REPAIR IT.

BUT MANY WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THAT SPOT TO SEE IF THE FOUNDATION CAN HANDLE THE STRAIN OF THE STRUCTURE IT SUPPORTS.

WHILE THE DEGREE CONFERRED ON YOU TODAY CAN NEVER BE REVOKED, THE REPUTATION YOU BUILD TOMORROW CAN BE RUINED IN ONE BADLY-JUDGED MOVE.

I’M NOT SAYING THAT IT WILL ALWAYS BE EASY TO FOLLOW THE HONEST AND FAIR PATH THAT IS NECESSARY TO GAIN RESPECTABILITY.

HAVING THE ATTRIBUTES OF INTEGRITY AND FAIRNESS IS MUCH DIFFERENT FROM BEING KNOWN FOR THOSE VALUES.

YOU GAIN A REPUTATION FOR THOSE PRINCIPLES BY PRACTICING THEM—IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE.

AND YOU’LL OFTEN FIND YOURSELF CHALLENGED TO COMPROMISE THOSE VALUES.

TEMPTATION IS TOUGH.

AND, BELIEVE ME, THERE IS PLENTY OF IT IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD YOU ARE ENTERING.

TO OVERCOME THE TEMPTATION TO COMPROMISE YOUR VALUES WILL REQUIRE A GREAT DEAL OF DISCIPLINE ON YOUR PART.

AND TO DISCIPLINE YOURSELF IS EVEN TOUGHER.

IT TOOK DISCIPLINE TO STUDY FOR FINALS THESE LAST TWO WEEKS. . .WHEN THE SUN WAS SHINING AND THE SIGHTS AT BOOMER LAKE LOOKED FAR MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN A BUSINESS LAW TEXTBOOK.

BUT DISCIPLINING YOURSELF IN THE WORKING WORLD WILL BE EVEN MORE EXACTING. . .TRYING. . .AND, ULTIMATELY, MORE REWARDING.

[Handwritten addition: Remember, you don’t have to cheat to win.]

[Handwritten addition: I have found that with a good education, average intelligence and the willingness to work, you can start earlier, stay later, and you will wear the competition down.]

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP YOURSELF MAINTAIN THAT DISCIPLINE.

FIRST, TAKE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO KEEP YOURSELF IN GOOD HEALTH.

AND SECOND, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE DOING THE KIND OF WORK YOU ENJOY.

IF YOU DON’T ENJOY WHAT YOU’RE DOING, YOU WON’T HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO SUCCEED. . .BECAUSE YOU WON’T CARE ENOUGH ABOUT THE END PRODUCT.

AND YOUR DISLIKE FOR YOUR WORK WILL BE REFLECTED IN OTHER’S OPINION OF YOU.

[Handwritten addition: I can’t imagine working my entire career at something I don’t enjoy. If you find yourself hating to go to work in the morning, you should wonder about your life’s work.]

YOU ARE ENTERING A NEW PERIOD OF YOUR LIFE, AND YOU SHOULD APPROACH IT AS SERIOUSLY AS YOU HAVE APPROACHED YOUR SCHOOLING.

THAT’S NOT TO SAY THAT THIS MOMENT IS ONE OF SUCH SOMBER NOTE THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE ENJOYABLE.

(GOOD PLACE FOR ANECDOTE)

BUT IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT I MIGHT IMPRESS ON YOU TODAY, IT IS THAT WHILE YOUR EDUCATION HAS PREPARED YOU WITH THE SKILLS TO GET A JOB DONE. . .IT HAS NOT NECESSARILY PREPARED YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

IN WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE—BE IT [Handwritten addition: agriculture] BUSINESS, EDUCATION OR SCIENCE—NOT JUST YOUR WORK, BUT THE REPUTATION OF YOU AND YOUR WORK ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

IT TAKES YEARS TO DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE THAT FORM THE RESPECT AND ESTEEM WHICH WILL HELP DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS.

SOME OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED HERE AT OSU.

[Text stricken: GOOD PLACE FOR ANOTHER ANECDOTE. OR USE A LINE LIKE] “THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING FROM THE CLASSMATES YOU SAT NEXT TO IN FRESHMAN [Text stricken: COMP] [Handwritten addition: English] TO THE BUDDIES YOU DRANK BEER WITH AT JOES.” [Text stricken: JOE’S IS THE HOT SPOT ON CAMPUS CURRENTLY.] [Handwritten addition: Always keep these friendships. Never forget where you came from.]

THE PEOPLE EXPERIENCES YOU’VE HAD ARE MORE IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE THAN YOU THINK.

THEY SHOULD SERVE AS A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR THE BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS YOU WILL FORM LATER.

IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOU NOT ONLY APPROACH THESE NEW RELATIONSHIPS CAREFULLY, BUT IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT YOU REFLECT ON WHERE PAST RELATIONSHIPS MIGHT HAVE GONE WRONG.

IN OTHER WORDS, LEARN FROM PAST MISTAKES AND BEGIN THIS NEW PART OF YOUR LIFE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

FINALLY, YOU’LL LOOK BACK ON YOUR TIME AT OSU AS SOME OF THE BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.

REMEMBER AS YOU LEAVE TODAY THAT IT’S IMPORTANT TO RETURN A PORTION OF THE SUCCESS YOU FIND, WHETHER IT BE IN [Text stricken: YOUR] TIME OR MONEY, TO THE INSTITUTION THAT HELPED YOU[Handwritten addition: .] [Text stricken: ON YOUR WAY.]

IN SOME WAY, THEN, YOU CAN ASSIST ANOTHER YOUNG STUDENT TO FOLLOW THE TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE AND SUCCESS THAT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY FOSTERS.

GOOD LUCK IN YOUR ENDEAVORS.