Cornyn Tells Grads: Be a Visionary Like 'Old Sam'
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Johnson Coliseum
for the May 14, 2005 morning commencement exercises.
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The text of U. S. Senator John Cornyn's remarks at Sam
Houston State University commencement exercises on May 14,
2005.
Thank you, Dr. Payne, for that gracious introduction. I'm
honored to be here with you all today.
I'd like to acknowledge the faculty here today, as well as
the staff, alumni, parents, and friends who have all come
to celebrate this occasion.
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| Jimmy Hayley, left, SHSU regent, visits
with U. S. Senator John Cornyn prior to morning commencement
exercises. |
Graduates--I extend to you my congratulations, and my personal
appreciation to your parents and families whose support has
undoubtedly helped you in the pursuit of greater talents and
more fulfilling careers. Here you are--after years of hard
work, classes, and study--(OK, we all know it wasn't just
work, classes and study)--but here you are. Today is your
day. Do your best to remember this moment--to savor it. You
certainly deserve this celebration of your success.
Education is a mighty gift. Its power should not be underestimated.
With the solid foundation you've built here at Sam Houston
State, you each are well on your way to accomplishing amazing
things.
And for those of you in need of some career advice, I could
offer you the words of President Ronald Reagan: "Politics
is a good profession. If you succeed there are many rewards,
and if you disgrace yourself you can always write a bestseller."
I know that at this point, I'm the only person standing between
you and your diplomas. But I'd like to share with you a brief
glimpse of history--a story about the man for whom your school
was named--as a way of encouraging you as you leave here and
enter the "real world" as truly independent men
and women.
Sam Houston was many things: A governor, a United States Senator,
twice president of the Republic of Texas. Most certainly he
was a hero--larger than life. But perhaps chief among them,
he was a visionary. He saw the world of his day--and knew
it could be better. He watched a fight being waged during
the early years of our country, and took a principled stand
to seek unity through equality.
Eight years before Abraham Lincoln used the phrase "a
house divided against itself cannot stand," Sam Houston
said: "A Nation divided against itself cannot stand."
Those were the words of a visionary--the words of a man who
looked at the world around him, who was able to make observations
and incorporate them into meaningful and powerful action.
In their book "From Slave to Statesman," authors
Jane Monday of Huntsville and Pat Prather of Houston discuss
the relationship between Houston and Joshua, one of his slaves.
They reveal that the relationship between the two men "defies
the stereotypical images of black/white relationships of the
time," and state that Joshua was taught to read, write,
allowed to keep the money he earned, and allowed to keep his
family close to him.
Texas legend has it that Houston freed his slaves before it
was legally required. One recalls Houston reading the Emancipation
Proclamation from the steps of his house, telling them all
they were free to go. Joshua left and took the last name of
Houston, and, according to Monday, "was a tireless worker
for the cause of peace between the two races."
Houston's thinking was ahead of the time. His acts in office
as president of the Republic of Texas, then later as governor,
indicate he disagreed with the idea of slavery. He refused
to permit bounty hunters to be paid for capturing escaped
slaves, and prohibited slave trafficking.
While in Congress, Houston voted against the Kansas-Nebraska
Act, which would have allowed slavery to spread westward,
and it is said he ruined his chances to be elected president
of the United States by casting this dissenting vote. On Principle,
he stood against the proslavery congressmen who did not want
to see a free territory west of Missouri. He voted against
it despite the fact it was something Southerners favored--and
it cost him what some would have thought to be a more glamorous
political career.
Of course I realize this is an emotionally charged, controversial
subject that reveals a darker day in our history. But I tell
this story about Old Sam today as a way of encouraging you
to think about your future, to contemplate your calling, and
cultivate your vision. Because each one of you has that visionary
potential.
Perhaps as you sit here today, you feel some restlessness
about your future. You may not know what path to chart. But
have confidence that you will find your way, if you are curious
and conscious and engaged enough to seek it.
You are all on the verge of freedom--freedom from the rigors
of study, free from the listings in a course catalog mapping
out the months that stretch out before you. But you're also
about to enter a world where you are free in a broader sense--free
to decide the course you will take in life. The question now
is what kind of person you will become. What will you do with
this precious life you have been given?
The people who change this world for the better are those
who are dedicated, who work hard, and who live as if they
cannot fail. Rather than being self-focused, they look outward,
to a purpose greater than themselves. Old Sam exemplifies
this idea. He was willing to sacrifice personal glory for
principle--and many people benefited from that decision.
So I encourage you today to be men and women of courage and
conviction. Be men and women who use the freedom you have
to seek a common good. Be men and women of purpose, who leave
this world a better place than you found it.
To the fine graduates of Sam Houston State University, I say:
Congratulations on your achievement.
May God bless you all, and may He continue to bless our great
country.
- END -
For biographical information on Senator Cornyn,
see Senator
Cornyn is Commencement Speaker.
SHSU Media Contact: Frank
Krystyniak
May 14, 2005
Please send comments, corrections, news tips to Today@Sam.edu
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