Valedictory Address

“Valedictory Address – 1961” 1-14. (UA Case 68, Box 1)

The other day I heard a story of a graduate from another University – I am afraid that the source is inclined to be unreliable. Anyway, upon receiving his degree he turned to God and said, “I have learned all there is to know, what will you have me do?” God was not long with his reply – “Now that you have learned the First Two Letters of the alphabet, you had better go back and learn the rest!”

I think that this story has a very important message for each on of us here tonight.

True enough, for most of us our studentship is fast coming to a close, however we have only really just begun to learn – to learn how to apply our knowledge to the everyday tasks that lie ahead. We are all aware of this, however we have probably said many times over these past few weeks – that’s the last time I will look at a textbook! It is a good job we cannot always foresee the future, isn’t it?

Education, such as that which we have been privileged to receive here at this great University at the hands of an extremely competent faculty, has been likened by the late Dr. Sidney Smith to “a strong grey elephant that will roll great obstacles our of one’s way if it is kept at work – but let it languish in a stable, and it will turn white.” If we do allow our education to crumble around us – that is not to stir ourselves to greater ambitions, then we will be letting the greatest investment of our lives become worthless.

According to Dr. A. N. Whitehead, the noted mathematician and educationalist, “education is the acquisition of the art of the utilization of knowledge”. Thereby we can see that a man’s education is not apparent until he has started to put his knowledge to use.

In these days of increased specialization, it is very difficult for an individual to exist if he does not keep abreast of his colleagues – and this can only be achieved in most cases through the medium of print. So if we are not going to do much else we will have to keep reading – and more than the funnies of the Esquire Magazine!

Before I preamble into abstractions, I think that it would be appropriate for us to review the years that we have spent at this University. For most of us here tonight our thoughts go back five, four and for some of these displaced persons from Upper Canada three years ago when with apprehension and indecision we made our way to registration. Many of us still wet behind the ears, many of us wise in the ways of the world – but most of us a little more ignorant than we are today.

Our first letters home were no doubt filled with skepticism and fear as we struggled to survive in this new environment. An environment which requires complete adaption.

We found ourselves associating with other who had a completely different outlook on life, and a completely different set of values resulting from completely different family backgrounds.

If we had been at all religious before coming to University we were immediately exposed to elements which put our teachings and faith under heavy strain.

When we look back we can see that University has been a good testing ground for Sunday School.

Examinations came and went, and somehow we managed to survive, year after year. Slowly, it would seem, we were transferred from a number and a name to a face and a personality in the rinds of the faculty. Gradually, we became part of this growing University.

Now we have come to the final stretch. As the year has passed swiftly by, we have become aware of the fact that the time is drawing new to say “au revoir.”

The waiting is over – and the results are out. We realize now – if we have not already done so – that we were wise to have persevered with our studies – we realize now that we are indeed fortunate to have had a privilege which is denied so many.

As our undergraduate days approach their termination, what will we have to remember from these hectic but wonderful years.

We have seen the first artificial earth satellite put into orbit – which has since shared its glory with a host of others.

We have seen the other side of the moon – hidden from man since creation.

We have seen a vaccine developed to prevent poliomyelitis.

And now we have seen the first man put in orbit around our planet – Gagarin – a name which will ultimately share a place in history with such adventurers as Columbus and Scott.

We have seen one crisis after another develop and disintegrate as the major powers grapples for still greater gains.

We have seen peoples triumphant and peoples defeated –

We shall never forget the heroic stand of the Hungarian students and their fellow countrymen as they stood defiant in the path of Communist oppression. A tragedy which has been brought very close to us by our associations with those to whom the gates of this university were flung open wide.

Closer to home we have seen how a Canadian’s vision has won him the top office in the country – and incidentally a degree from this University.

We have seen an engineering project enable deep sear vessels to penetrate into the heart of our nation.

We have seen how it pays off to have a name such as Robichaud – and, by the way, how it pays to keep one’s partisan feelings hidden.

Here in Fredericton, we have seen more visible proof of our benevolent Chancellor’s generosity with the opening of the Beaverbrook Art Gallery and with the forthcoming construction of the Beaverbrook Theatre.

While on Campus we have seen a “graduate” from this University go on to take over the Presidency of the United States of America.

We have seen our athletes excel themselves – winning numerous championships and setting many records.

We have seen how a building campaign spearheaded by our esteemed President has paid off in the expansion of our Campus, where is felt the ever-increasing demands on existing facilities.

We have seen expansion of our faculty as the schools of physical education and nursing have been added to the list along with the newly formed Chemical Engineering and Surveying Engineering departments.

It is indeed a welcome sight, Mr. President, to see this never-ending expansion, since we leave in the knowledge that no one deserving of a University education will be turned away.

Of course, this is only a brief glance over these past years, but it is a fair indication as to what has been happening in the world around us.

So much for the past – what of the future? For it is the future with which we must obviously concern ourselves as we not stand upon the threshold of a new experience.

We, as Canadians, must be prepared to take up our duties which are expected of us in the “Nelsonian” tradition.

We have heard this said to us time and again, and now we can procrastinate no longer. It will soon be our turn to take over the reins in the various fields of endeavour with which we are occupied and guide this nation of ours through the “Sensational Sixties” into the “Soaring Seventies” and on into the twenty first century.

But in order to do this, we must have what it takes, we must have foresight, since this is a quality of education.

We must no longer think of ourselves as Upper Canadians, Maritimers, Westerners, or whatever other regional group these may be – but as Canadians first and foremost. We have only to look at the world around us to see how fortunate we are to be in this land of ours. As in the case of education, its true value can only be realized when it is unavailable.

The first thing with which we should concern ourselves as we head into the future is to come to grips with our apathetical society.

No matter what we will endeavour to do, these will always be apathy in our way. One of the saddest forms of this is with respect to our own nation – we seem to lack a sense of pride.

Those from outside that country tell us this as being the most noticeable factor of Canadian life – a lack of sense of nationality.

We seem to lose sight of the fact that we are one under the crown. Our forefathers must have has a great vision nearly one hundred years ago – I am quite sure that in many respects we have fallen short of that dream.

If the past is any indication of the future – and I feel that it is most certainly the case, since down through the ages history has repeated itself time and again – then we must be prepared to meet crisis’s that might endanger the freedom which we as Canadians have the great fortune to experience.

We must be prepared to stand, and fight if necessary, for our beliefs.

We must be prepared to be an example to those countries which are emerging into nationhood, and which look to the older nations for guidance and encouragement. We can think of our own Commonwealth in which “adopted children”, to use P. M. MacMillan’s phrase, we are now reaching maturity.

In a sense, we must be prepared to be our brother’s keeper, not only with regards to our fellow countryman, but also anyone looking to us for aid and support. We can no longer remain insular in our outlook – the world is ever-shrinking and the evil forces which oppose our way of life are no longer weeks away by land or sea but only hours and in some cases minutes away by air.

Yes, indeed, an enemy is virtually at our doorstep.

These are the things for which we must be prepared – but there are requisites which are necessary in order for us to meet the challenge successfully.

To my mind, the greatest of these is a belief in what we stand for.

It surely isn’t materialism – for we would be Communists.
It surely isn’t imperialism for we would be warmongers.

What we stand for is the equality for all mankind – that all men are created equal in the sight of God. Since Canada is a Christian nation, then this must ultimately be our goal.

These are high ideals and will not be achieved by the mere utterance of words. There must be action – indeed concerted action – if we are to accomplish that which we have set as our aim.

It will require individual effort – since the strength of any society or civilization is only as great as those who constitute it.

Individualism – which seems to be lacking in the world today – is a quality which many find objectionable in this society of conformity and togetherness.

True enough we must be together, in a sense, in our overall endeavour – for members of a tug-of-war team must pull together in the same direction – yet each pulls individually.

The totalitarian states – against which we find ourselves competing today – are based on a system of joint effort but with the negative result that there is only the “slightest possible development of human individuality”.

If we expect to be individuals – and to be treated as such, - then we must not deprive others of the chance of experiencing the same.

Wherelse, other than in University, can one readily acquire the art of self-expression? But this can, as we have seen, be abused to the extent that individualism become an end unto itself.

Nationalism, also, can very easily become twisted and distorted – to wit the various uprisings in the world today. It has become a nasty word associated with rebellion and bloodshed – irrational and irresponsible thinking.

This, of course, is not advocated here – but rather a sense of pride and dignity in being citizens of the oldest dominion in the British Commonwealth. An experience which will undoubtedly result in our possessing a national identity.

We, at this University, have been studying in this ever-growing cosmopolitan community dedicated to the betterment of man’s understanding. It has been indeed a rewarding opportunity for us to learn firsthand of how the various peoples around the world carry out their daily lives – while at the same time being observed ourselves.

If w have at all been concerned, we still have learned a great deal from our fellow students from abroad. If nothing else, we have realized how very concerned they are in the welfare of their own state – and how ready they are to depend it – should the occasion arise. To these students – and there quite a few here tonight – we offer our sincere thanks for having enriched our education.

Hence, a sense of dedication must be prevalent in our minds if we are to move closer to the fulfillment of the proposition of equality.

A similar sense of dedication was impressed upon the graduating engineers this afternoon at the iron ring ceremony. And what was its aim? – To instill in an engineer’s mind, among other things, the fact that mistakes are costly and must be avoided.

Certainly, mistakes are costly in any endeavour. So do not let us make the mistake of becoming susceptible to that contagious disease of apathy. For what better way could we aid Mr. Kruschev’s prophecy – “that the hammer and sickle will fly over every capital of the world by 1972?”

No – it is rather for us to forge ahead urged on by our beliefs and ideals – to make sure that those who are coming behind us – yes, even our own children – will not suffer as a result of our laxity and inaction in coming to grips with the task.

In brief – then – we have the challenge. What will we do with it? Will we cast it off as some irrational, emotional fervour? Will we take it to heart, and dedicate ourselves here to-night, to the ideals of freedom and liberty.

The future is in our hands.

To those among us who are going on to further studies we wish the very best – and we trust that you will find your foundations established at this University will stand you in good stead in your advanced learnings.

To those among us who will be returning to your homeland – we with you God speed, and it is our sincere wish that you carry back to your people the cordiality that we know exists between us.

As for the rest of us – our challenge is known – and all that remains is for us to get down to work – hard work.