Former President Bush Speaks at Rice Commencement

CONTACT: Margot
Dimond

PHONE: (713) 348-6775

EMAIL: mdimond@rice.edu

FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH
SPEAKS AT RICE COMMENCEMENT

In a speech with a light-hearted delivery, former
President George Bush left Rice students with some serious messages as they
graduated at Rice’s 87th Commencement, Saturday, May 13. Following are the notes
of his address, “A New Patriotism,” delivered at Rice University:

Thank you.

I am honored to be here at Rice University for
this special day in your lives. I always feel at home at Rice for several
reasons.

The first is that — as Dr. Gillis mentioned —
for a fleeting moment in history, I was adjunct professor here in the late
1970s. When asked to serve in that capacity, I was told adjunct means “you don’t
get paid”. Many felt I was overcompensated at that, but I loved my brief time
here at the Jones school [and later with Lovett College].

The second reason I feel at home here is that the
Rice University campus is the home of the great Baker Institute, to which my
dear friend and Rice Trustee Jim Baker has dedicated so much of his private life
in the wake of his distinguished career in public service. Jim served so ably
and honorably at the highest levels of government, most notably as Secretary of
State during a time of profound change in our world. So it is no surprise that
the Baker Institute is fast emerging as an internationally recognized
institution of scholarly excellence.

So it’s great to be back at Rice, and I was
touched by your invitation. But after the flattery subsided somewhat, I realized
I had some work to do to come up with something worthwhile to say.

As I was casting about for ideas, someone sent me
Bill Gates’ book which lists 11 rules every student should learn in college, but
doesn’t. (At first, given Microsoft’s situation, I thought maybe I should break
the list into two parts, and read only half.)

Then I saw Mr. Gates’ last rule, which said: “Be
nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.” This may be true, but
it was not exactly the uplifting message I wanted to convey to send you charging
out into the world, so I searched on.

I thought of the commencement speech that Kurt
Vonnegut was alleged to give, but didn’t, a few years back. You know, the one
that started “Wear sunscreen”, and included such timeless pieces of advice as
“Do one thing everyday that scares you” and “Floss” (it was actually written by
a Chicago columnist). Such a speech would offer a lighter touch, and yet I
wanted to provide a tad more gravitas. So as Dana Carvey would say: “Not gonna
do it. Wouldn’t be prudent.”

Then it hit me that, as Dr. Gillis noted, I was
sitting out there where you are today two years ago when my grandson, George P.,
graduated from Rice — and Kurt Vonnegut was in fact the speaker. I thought the
best thing I could do is share a few thoughts that ran through my mind on that
day, so herewith are a few lessons that 75 years of living have taught me.

The first lesson to success in life is, if you
are invited to give a commencement speech at Rice University or another august
institution of higher learning, remember Winston Churchill’s old admonition: Be
sincere, be brief, and be seated. (You will be relieved to know I intend to heed
my own advice this morning.)

But I say this because I’ve always been one to
believe that actions speak louder than words. Words are important, and speaking
can be an important part of leading — of rallying the troops. But leading by
example, in my mind, is the best way to get things done whether it’s in
politics, business, you name it.

That said, the second lesson for success in life
is to keep listening to your parents and mentors. As you branch out into the
real world, and start your own careers and families, you’ll be surprised how
much wisdom your parents gain over the next few years. Of course, the earliest
lessons we learn in life come from our parents. But don’t expect the advice
giving to stop after you graduate from college — or even if you become
President of the United States.

The third and final lesson on success I have to
share with you today is the importance of getting involved in your community,
for I still believe that there can be no definition of a successful life in
America that does not include service to others.

Let me put it this way: When I was privileged to
serve as President, I often talked about a concept I called being “one of a
thousand points of light”. Simply put, Points of Light are caring citizens who
volunteer their time and effort to help make the world a better place than they
found it — whether through public service, or working through their church or
synagogue, or a local club or organization (such as your terrific Rice Student
Volunteer Program, which does so much, in so many ways, for so many people in
our community).

To me, the selfless spirit of service embodied by
the Rice Student Volunteer Program and the tens of thousands of Points of Light
I’ve been privileged to meet is the same neighbor-helping-neighbor spirit that
de Toqueville observed so many years ago — and that continues to distinguish
America today as the kindest, greatest, freest Nation in the world.

As you know, the century now drawing to a close
has been occasionally referred to as “the American Century”. I hope this doesn’t
sound too egocentric to our friends from abroad, but I believe it’s a fair
description because, over the past century, American ingenuity helped light the
world, and get it moving in the air, and on the highways, and now on the
Internet (thank you, Mr. Vice President).

Though some may not be sure, I have no doubt that
we will succeed in ushering in “a new American century”. But by that, I don’t
mean a century in which America profits at the expense of other countries.
Instead, it means I believe that the revolution of freedom and free markets
which ignited in places like Poland and Chile and Thailand and South Africa with
the help of the US a decade ago will continue to spread the hope of democracy
with prosperity around the world.

But to be clear, my optimism for the future is
not based solely on the good fortune or material riches of the moment. Rather,
it rests in the enduring propensity of the American people to respond to
adversity and act in the spirit of goodwill when duty calls. For though we live
in an era illuminated by the promise of peace as mankind has never known it
before, tomorrow is promised to no one.

A great scholar and historian once observed that “a nation’s ascendancy to the heights of power carries with it no assurance that
fortune’s smile will never turn away. The pages of history are replete with the
instructive accounts of other great civilizations that, in their prime, strode
like colossus upon the sands of time. Yet, they declined and fell — many
without a trace. A hundred generations have since dropped, like the leaves of
autumn, into the silence of the grave, leaving only a few decaying monuments