Gen. Wesley Clark speaks at Lyon commencement

May 9, 2005

By Josh Manning '06

View the video of General Clark's speech

Former Democratic presidential contender Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.) spoke at Lyon College’s commencement and received an honorary degree Saturday.

Clark was presented an honorary doctor of laws degree from Lyon College by President Walter B. Roettger, Frank Lyon Jr., chair of the Board of Trustees, and Dr. John Peek, dean of the faculty. Clark thanked the college and then spoke to the graduating seniors on “A New Strategy for America.”

“This is a beautiful day that is so meaningful in your lives . . . but, it’s not called graduation. It’s called commencement” Clark told the 112 graduating seniors. “You’re not looking back . . . you’re looking forward.”

Clark noted that the seniors are graduating at an exciting time in history, saying that they are consumers of cutting edge products and technologies and spectators to great happenings all around the world. He also reminded them that they are living on the forefront of scientific advancement.

He went on to point out that the vast majority of graduates would, with minimal effort, be able to survive in the world around them. Most would never experience the difficulties many in the rest of the world encounter daily, and because of this it would be easy for the graduates not to care.

In the midst of this unparalleled prosperity it is easy, Clark said, to become non-committal and fall into the category of “Samplers.” Samplers are those who want to experience many different aspects of affluent society without committing to give anything back to the society that produced that affluence.

Clark said, “It’s easy in a world of choice and opportunity to fall into that group of Samplers.” But by striving, serving, and sacrificing, he added, the graduates could preserve the gifts that “are a product of each of us.”

He continued by saying that our country is on trial at home and abroad. Mentioning Osama Bin Laden, Syria, and Iran, he stated that many abroad dislike us.

Regarding our challenges at home, Clark said that there are problems with education and partisanship. We need courage, integrity, commitment, and, most of all, Clark said, we need graduates to help as we define our new vision and strategy to guide the country forward.

Clark stated that in the past the U.S. had a specific mission, whether it was the defeat of the Soviet Union during the Cold War or the triumph of education at home. However, after the U.S. won the Cold War, Clark said, it lost its way in the world. He went on to say that the U.S. had built-up great economic power, but had also turned its back on the rest of the world.

“We’ve launched into a new and different world,” said Clark. He noted that the U.S. is struggling to define itself in a post-Cold War world, but that the graduates could meet these challenges as other generations have risen to the challenges of their times.

Clark spoke of the biblical Parable of the Talents in which a man gives money to each of his three servants before he leaves on a long trip, and when he returns finds that two of the servants invested the money wisely and made more money but the third simply buried his, rendering it useless.

Clark reminded the graduates that they had been given gifts similar to those servants and that they, like the servants, have a responsibility to invest those gifts wisely. He encouraged them, saying they could not hide the gift they had been given. “You’ve got to have the courage to use it . . . to dare, to dream,” said Clark.

He concluded his speech saying that there is work in the world worth doing, great prizes to be won, and great joy to be found. He said that he hoped the graduates would return double for the investment made in them.