Germany’s Schmidt to Speak at Rice

Germany’s Schmidt to Speak at Rice

BY MICHAEL CINELLI
Rice News Staff
Sept. 3, 1998

Rice graduates will hear first-hand about forces shaping the economic and political
future of Europe when former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt delivers the university’s
1999 Commencement address in May.

Schmidt served as chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1974 through
1982 and remained involved in German politics as a member of the Bundestag until
he stepped down in 1987. But he is hardly retired; he is currently publisher
of the influential weekly newspaper Die Zeit and remains a very influential
voice in European economics and politics.

Rice President Malcolm Gillis, who talked with Schmidt in July in Germany,
said: "Chancellor Helmut Schmidt is one of the pre-eminent statesmen of
the post-World War II era. As an ardent proponent of ‘ostpolitik’ before and
during his term as chancellor, Helmut Schmidt played a central role in turning
NATO’s attention toward the potential economic and political benefits of greater
dialogue with Eastern Europe, generally, and Russia, in particular.

"Chancellor Schmidt and former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing
were the two strongest advocates of the European Monetary Union, an idea that
emerged from a conference in Bremen in 1979," Gillis said. "Within
a few short months, their dream of a unified European currency will become a
reality, as the new medium of exchange–the Euro–will be adopted by 11 nations
on Jan. 1, 1999.

"His presence at Rice’s Commencement will be especially timely and meaningful
for three reasons. The first is Rice’s involvement in assisting the German city-state
of Bremen in creating the first private university on the European continent.
The second is the recent intensification of the drive toward European economic,
if not political unity. Europe is now at a critically important crossroads,
politically as well as economically. Elections in Germany in September will
have a very important bearing upon all Europe for some time to come," he
said.

"Third, Chancellor Schmidt has deep insights into the problems of the
modern Russian economy."

Schmidt, who was born in 1918 in Hamburg, Germany, began his political career
by winning election to the Bundestag in 1953 as a member of the Social Democratic
Party. In addition to elected governmental posts, he served as German minister
of defense and minister of finance in the administration of Chancellor Willy
Brandt.

Commencement activities are scheduled for May 15, 1999, in the Academic Quadrangle
on the Rice campus.

The Class of 1999 will be the 86th graduating class in Rice’s history.