May 23, 2013
Dear Marquette alumni,
One
of my favorite moments in the life of the university each year is the
opportunity our university community gets, as we did this weekend, to
congratulate the students of our graduating class for earning their
degrees and to welcome them as "daughters and sons of Marquette
forever."
This
year, a packed house at the BMO Harris Bradley Center extended that
welcome to a special honorary member of the Class of 2013, Dr. Bill
Cosby. When the legendary comedian donned a Marquette baseball cap with a
tassel and showed off the Marquette sweatshirt beneath his graduation
gown, graduates who were toddlers when The Cosby Show ended its
run gave him a standing ovation. A pioneer in breaking down racial
stereotypes on television, he is also a strong example of lifelong
learning, having earned two advanced degrees after becoming a national
figure. His keynote remarks are worth watching for his signature brand
of storytelling and thoughts about what it means to be a graduate of a
great Jesuit university. Like his fellow recipient of an honorary doctor
of letters degree, Sister Rosemary Connelly, a trailblazer in the care
of developmentally disabled individuals as executive director of
Misericordia in Chicago, Cosby offered much to inspire his younger
classmates. Find his remarks at the 47-minute mark of the Commencement webcast.
As
the name implies, Commencement is more of a beginning than a
conclusion. It really is our graduates' gateway to lifelong membership
in the Marquette family. Realize how much they appreciate opportunities
to network with you and fellow alumni — to benefit from the knowledge
and experience you have collected along your journeys from Marquette. As
you encounter them starting their new lives and careers, please welcome
them and look after them as members of our family.
Thank you for everything you do to advance Marquette for the glory of God and the well-being of the world.
Sincerely,
Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.
President
Marquette University |