- Collection:
- Land of (Unequal) Opportunity: Documenting the Civil Rights Struggle in Arkansas
- Title:
- University of Arkansas Commencement Address, 1958
- Publisher:
- Fayetteville, Ark. : University of Arkansas Libraries
- Date of Original:
- 1958
- Subject:
- African Americans--Arkansas
Civil rights--Arkansas
Race discrimination--Arkansas
Segregation--Arkansas - Location:
- United States, Arkansas, 34.75037, -92.50044
- Medium:
- speeches (documents)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- University of Arkansas Commencement Address given by University president Dr. John T. Caldwell.
African-Americans -- Blacks -- Education -- Fayetteville -- Washington
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, 1958 Dr. John T. Caldwell, President One reason given by the Commencement committee for making this address my responsibility is that it is the only occasion on which some of the graduates ever will hear the President of the University! That is probably true, but no schocking loss to the student would occur if the record stayed clear. It reminds me of the story of a President of a small college who despite the size was consitutionally unable to remember student and faces. Urged to unbend a but and give at least the appearance of interest in them he made pro- digious efforts, with some unfourtunate results. "And how is your father?" he asked of one face on campus. "Oh, sir, he's dead." Getting over that one somehow, a week later he made the same inquiry with the same voice replying, "Oh, sir,he's still dead." I have already been reading some of the current commencement oratory as reported in the press. It reminds me of some of my own in the past. I hope you know how difficult it is to think of something to say to you on this large occassion which is worth your time. Knowing first-hand the pitfalls, I have determined to reduce them as much as possible by speaking briefly. By doing so, I suspect you will be grateful quite regardless of the content of what is said, and , further, there is a better chance that I will have less of my own inadequacy to reflect upon. So what I say will at least be short, simple, and sincere. It will also be pure unadulterated, but unashamed, sentiment. Not quite the same degree of sentiment as is expressed in the old ballad by Barbara Allen: - Metadata URL:
- http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/ref/collection/Civilrights/id/1818
- IIIF manifest:
- https://digitalcollections.uark.edu/iiif/2/Civilrights:1818/manifest.json
- Additional Rights Information:
- Please contact Special Collections for information on copyright.
- Original Collection:
- University of Arkansas Office of the President
- Contributing Institution:
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Libraries
- Rights:
-
University of Arkansas Commencement Address, 1958
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