Howard University's 116th Convocation

Walk. W H M and TV proudly presents Howard University's 116 convocation. Due to technical difficulties. Portions of this program are unavailable for air. Jeames. Edward chinked has served as president of

Health and diversity since July 1st 1969. His tenure in that office is exceeded only by the 34 years of the inimitable Mordicai white Johnson. Having served as president of Shaw University in Raleigh North Carolina for six years prior to assuming the presidency of Howard. Dr cheek is among the longest serving college presidents in the United States. His dynamic leadership is reflected in the phenomenal growth of Howard University over the last 14 years. No area of the university has been denied the enjoyment of positive growth during this period. Personnel. School. Physical Facilities and program resources have all burgeoned under President cheat's administration. Borth in Roanoke Rapids North Carolina. Dr cheek received his early education in the Greensboro public school. Dr. cheek delivered the keynote address of Howard University's 106 to location. He addressed the audience with

anecdotes of his early college years at Shaw University. Whereupon he portrayed himself as an activist. Because of his rebel stance. He explains that he was expelled from Shaw University. We now joined the president of Howard University Dr. James Cheek as he continues his binge. My expulsion from Shaw was not the first. Experience of having been booted out. Of a hall of learning. Because the same thing happened in high school during my junior year there. I was editor of. The Panthers quoll the student newspaper. And although as an editor of a high school newspaper

on almost no freedom of expression. Nonetheless when a group of students decided in the fall of 1949 to stage a rebellion against the principal there was a rush to judgment on the part of everyone that such a behavior on the part of the student body at the high would not have occurred without my instigation. I have proclaimed through the years that I was innocent and unjustly accused in the situation that occurred in high school

with respect to the action of the president expelling me from Shaw I acknowledge that I did indeed keep the pot. Boiling and I will insist as I insisted then to my dying day that whatever I did as a student activist at Shaw was thoroughly justified. Knowing what I knew then about the job of the president of a college and the behavior of college students even in the years of the quiet generation I do

not understand how I could possibly have planned and aspired to become one. My recollection of the plans for my career. Is that I intended to devote my life to teaching students engaging in research and writing a book a year. Over a period of 30 years I intended to become a consummate philosopher theologian resulting in creating a chic school of thought. As a contribution to man's understanding of himself and in the universe in which we must live. I know that the record will not be

expunged. The vice president in charge of writing the program and overseeing its printing had exclusive jurisdiction access to which I was barred. It might rightly be said that I am living proof of the New Testament observation that what you sow you shall also read. Now after almost 21 years

I am reconciled to the fact that I am receiving my just deserts and I seek daily God's forgiveness for the sins of my youth. Each year during the second week in the month of May there occurs an event on this campus that occurs nowhere else in the world. It is the event of Heimowitz commencement. What makes this event unique among colleges and universities worldwide is that

approximately 2000 young men and women from almost 50 states and the District of Columbia. Most American territories and sometimes as many as 90 foreign countries young men and women who skin color and ethnic heritage is as diverse as the population inhabiting this plane on that occasion they received degrees from 17 schools and colleges ranging from the bachelor's to the doctor

and sitting close by them in a section of the stadium. To them that is the Howard University Faculty a group of distinguished scholars American black American white African and Caribbean black Europeans Asians from all parts of Asia. Men and women from the country countries of the Middle East of South and Central America.

It is important. That you understand that I did not respond to the newspaper articles last spring. Demanding from me a clever question as to whether Howard University has a policy of racial discrimination. The Howard University commencement alone answers that question more eloquently than any statement I could ever issue. Let the record show that no other university in this country

comparable to how would in size scope and complexity can so testify. And let the record also show that Heimowitz testimony on this issue is an interrupted demonstration and expression spanning more than a century. Howard University does have however a distinctive mission. And this distinctive mission is pursued. Because the nation in which we exist is so perverse in its racism and because racism is so

pervasive in our society. This university was founded to become one of the instruments through which our racial wounds would be cleansed and here for this purpose we were created and taught this and we shall continue. As we officially observe the formal opening of our one hundred and 16th year. We do so in an atmosphere of adversity. With a gathering storm of resistance to our continuing demand that Howard University is shall continue to be and shall

forever remain a truly distinguished institution of higher learning. The adversity and the resistance of which I speak is to be found from without but sadly to say also from within. When I was inaugurated as your president on April 23rd 1970 in my inaugural address I made the following statement by the labor. Of this institution in the decade of the 70s. We shall try to destroy the myth of white supremacy and exalt

the reality of human equality. Without apology for our origin without shame for our character and without equivocation about our purpose. We shall try to help our nation take an honorable change of direction. That was a promise made. It remains a promise to keep and that promise remains unfulfilled because this institution and this nation have many more rivers to cross.

On other occasions when I have addressed this community I have devoted most of what I have to say to issues existing within the larger society. On this occasion I wish to focus our attention on issues within our university community. I cling to the old fashioned concept that a university is a community of scholars. I include in that concept all constituent components of our institution. During the past 14 years our energies and

our attention have been devoted to the problem of our resources our fiscal our human and physical resources as a necessary and vital requirement to undertake and to sustain truly distinguished teaching research and learning. On many occasions you have heard me say. That while adequate resources do not guarantee truly distinguished scholarship one cannot lay claim to being a truly distinguished

institution without the essential resources in sufficient quantity that can be regarded as added. We first undertook the task of analyzing our resource Foundation and we confirmed what we really already knew. That by comparison with other universities of light size scope and complexity. This institution was still suffering from a lingering legacy of neglect and deprivation. With that confirmation we undertook the

task of resource planning. And while continuing our activity in planning we embarked upon an effort. Of resource development aimed toward the federal government. As well as the private sector. On a scale that was both national and international. Out of the process Kerak thing the past four years and recognizing that much of the foundation had already been established. We have become a university whose operating budget has increased tenfold.

Our centers of teaching research and community services are to be found in 17 schools and colleges 12 research institutes and centers and institution with such supporting services as a radio station a television station a new teaching and research hospital and a university press and a hotel to function as a teaching laboratory. During this same period our faculty has quadrupled in numbers and the supporting administrative staff has increased substantially. New buildings have been constructed and much needed. Land area has been acquired.

Despite this growth in our quantitative resources I still maintain that there continues to exist some areas of deficiency in our resources and we are still required to continue the task to gather the tools to perform our task. Everything that has occurred in increasing our resources during the past 14 years has occurred because of the continuing commitment of both. The Executive and Legislative branches of our federal government because of the active and enthusiastic participation

of our trustees administrative staff alumni. Our faculty our students foreign nations and our friends some friends of long standing and other friends newly acquired beginning this fiscal year. We have undertaking undertaken the task of resource evaluation and consolidation. Although we have been engaged in such an activity throughout the preceding period. The process of self-examination and evaluation upon which we have now embarked is one more comprehensive more deliberate more thorough and more

permanent in its impact and resolve. Last April the board of trustees adopted a resolution requiring that we develop and present it as a realistic and definitive plan to eliminate the university's accumulated deficit and control expenditure to us within available revenues pursuant to that mandate. We have begun to examine every program and every activity in which we are engaged. No area of the university will be exempt from this examination and evaluation

be it administrative academic supporting services or auxilary enterprises I have interpreted this mandate from our board as a mandate to go beyond the elimination of the fiscal deficit. But inclusive of ensuring that every program we offer every activity in which we are engaged every service we perform is essential is necessary but most importantly of all is this program and

this service and this activity is of some sort. On Western College that it will compel acknowledgment of its being not just good but whether it is better than the best and impossible task. You may ask. My response is No. A difficult task. The answer is yes and why

we must ask is this task difficult. And the answer has to be found quite simply in a strongly held belief that a predominantly black. Institution can never be as good as or better than a predominantly white institution of higher learning. This is a mighty river with numerous streams and terror tributaries that in the 1980s we still have to cross. A few years ago

one of our trustees who happens to be right after reviewing the resources and touring the facilities of one of our professional schools stated to me without any qualifying adjectives. There is no reason why this school should not be among the top ten of such schools in our country. When I had the opportunity to share this trustee's views with the dean of that school the Dean responded by saying the only

way that will ever happen is that we change the predominant race Klein character of our student population. My response to that Dean cannot be stated in this auditorium are carried over the airwaves. There is no place at Howard University. For any person in any kind of position. Who holds such a belief. There is no place at all.

Every individual associated with power. Must have the conviction that this institution is sacred that it is the instrument of our people's salvation and the instrument of our nation's redemption. We cannot be mediocre. And we cannot tolerate mediocrity. We cannot be sloven and we can not accept sloven litheness we can not. Be idle and we cannot indulge idleness.

At Howard University. There is no loose change with which to gamble. There can be no spare parts that can be put in storage and that is no time with which to play because of what this university was created to do and because of what this university is and because of what it means and because of what we are required to accomplish we can not be just another university occupying space on the landscape of American

higher education. We are required to create paths in a myriad of wilderness unexplored. It is demanded that we climb mountains never before scaled it is compelled that we build bridges across rivers that other institutions have refused of fear to cross. Let it be known across this land and beyond the oceans and the seas that Howard University cannot

pay administrators full time dollars for half hearted service. We cannot accommodate here full time teachers for part time teaching and research. And let it be known that we simply have no room here for full time students who do not intend to be full time learners.

And while we are making these things known not to by proclamation and affirmation but by our performance and our manifest deeds. Let us pledge to our selves and one to the other. Some very very simple thing so easy for all of us to do that. Let us make up our minds

and so demonstrate by behaviour that we do not have to be rude to demonstrate a theory that we will not. Create or perpetuate rumours. But rather that our actions and reactions because we are indeed scholars will be based upon confirmed and documented information. Let us decide that whatever turbulence. We make cars that that turbulence be created and not just.

That no one of us will bite the hand that feeds us. And under no conditions will we take part in actions that attempt to muzzle the ox that traded out the cone. Let it let us shout it from every hill. Let us saying it in every valley. Let us preach it in every classroom. Research Laboratory every library every dormitory every administrative office and in the trustee board room that Howard

University stands as a mighty treasure a precious jewel given as a gift from God and entrusted to our keeping. For just a passing moment of time and when we pass it on. It will be more valuable to our people and our nation and to the world than when it was passed to us. One hundred and sixteen years ago a small group of men gather. They bowed their knees and their heads. In a moment of prayer

and while our nation was binding up its wounds from civil strife. From that meeting in their moment of prayer they made a covenant with God and that covenant was the conception and creation of this universe. They made a promise and to each generation of people we renew that promise with the firm belief that some day that promise will find fulfillment and as we stand on the banks of each river we have yet cross

let our ears listen to the words of the prophet Isaiah. Do you not know or have you not heard. The Lord is the eternal God the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint nor grow weary and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny. He gives strength to the feinting for the weak he makes vigor. Abound though young men faint and grow weary and you stagger and fall.

They that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength. They will now not with Weezer's Eagles they shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not grow. That is how we started. That is how we must continue. May God. Keep us and bless us all. I think. Oh.

Oh oh oh. Oh. Oh oh oh oh.

Oh oh oh. Oh. Oh. Fantastic Square.

Cheek. We all did it for your leadership for your wisdom and for your magnificent oratory. Please accept Alison see of gratitude and appreciation for sharing your wonderful gifts with this institution. I asked all to join me and thanking and expressing our thanks to our president. At this time. But as the audience joined me in recognizing the presence of certain special individuals and groups of

individuals. Now our president usually ask that you save your applause applause to the end of the list. But he said no one listens. Now I'm not going to test any of a day. Whether you listen to me whether you won't. So just enjoy yourself. And as I introduce members of the board of trustees and trustees maritime. Members and representatives of Congress. Members and representatives of the diplomatic corps. Members and representatives of the judiciary.

Representatives of the federal and district governments. Dr. Joseph R Applegate chairman of the University Senate. Missing that pharyngeal JONES President Howard University student association. Dr. William a banner speak of the dedication of the undergraduate library from whom you will hear more later. Members of the Presidents administrative cabinet. Deans and directors of Howard University.

Mr. James Clark vice president emeritus Mrs. Klein. Mrs. James Cheek