Washington University National Arts & Sciences

THANK YOU [NAME]. AND THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOR YOUR VERY WARM WELCOME.

I BELIEVE THAT THREE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS NEED TO BE IN PLACE FOR A HAPPY LIFE: A WONDERFUL HOME, A SATISFYING CAREER AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT DRIVES YOU. I AM BLESSED WITH ALL THREE, AND I OWE TWO TO WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. FIRST, I CHOSE THE FIELD OF COMMUNICATIONS -- HERE. MY ALMA MATER GETS NO POINTS WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING THE IDEAL WIFE FOR ME. IT TOOK A POST-GRADUATE EDUCATION AT THE MANHATTAN CAMPUS OF THE SCHOOL OF LIFE TO ENABLE ME TO APPRECIATE THE SOPHISTICATION OF PHYLLIS WHO PROVIDED THE BALANCE I NEEDED. SECOND, THIS IS THE PLACE I DISCOVERED MY ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT.

BUT IT WAS WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY THAT PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN ALL MY OTHER LIFE SELECTIONS. THE ACADEMICS AND THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES HERE MELDED IN A PERFECT FIT, ENABLING ME TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS TO ACHIEVE A KEY LIFE GOAL: BUILDING AND RUNNING MY OWN COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS.

IT ALL STARTED FROM RESCUING MY FRATERNITY, AS PRESIDENT OF A MAJOR HOUSE ON CAMPUS, FROM NEAR BANKRUPTCY. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF -- IF IT WERE THIS FASCINATING TO EXECUTE A SUCCESSFUL TURNAROUND ... HOW MUCH MORE EXCITING WOULD IT BE TO START A BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH!

I CAN TRACE MY INTEREST IN COMMUNICATIONS TO WRITING MY OWN COLUMN IN STUDENT LIFE, THE CAMPUS NEWSPAPER, AND WINNING FIRST PRIZE IN A UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI NATIONAL JOURNALISM COMPETITION FOR COLLEGE WRITING. THIS WAS IMPORTANT VALIDATION OF MY WRITING ABILITY, WHICH I HAD PREVIOUSLY QUESTIONED. IT GAVE ME A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO MY BECOMING EDITOR-INCHIEF OF THE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL NEWSPAPER. BUT MY INTEREST IN LAW STARTED TO WANE - AS I REALIZED I WAS MORE INTRIGUED WITH CHANGING ATTITUDES, THAN IN THE LEGAL PROCESS. I DECIDED THAT IT WAS REALLY LIBERAL ARTS THAT I LIKED THE MOST, BECAUSE IT ENABLED ME TO LEARN ABOUT A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS, AND I ALWAYS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW, IN A NEW COURSE.

MY YEARS IN STUDENT POLITICS - I RAN FOR PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT BODY - TAUGHT ME HOW TO MANAGE COMMUNICATIONS, PROJECTS AND CAMPAIGNS.

ALL THESE APPARENTLY DISPARATE ELEMENTS CAME TOGETHER WHEN I DISCOVERED PUBLIC RELATIONS. PR COMBINES THAT PART OF THE LAW THAT I LIKED THE BEST, CLIENT ADVOCACY, WITH MY OTHER INTERESTS: COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION AND WRITING. I'M A "WHY" KIND OF PERSON - ALWAYS LOOKING FOR UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES AND CONNECTIONS. PUBLIC RELATIONS HAS GIVEN ME LICENSE TO INDULGE MY INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, ALLOWING ME TO MOVE FROM TOPIC TO TOPIC, AS ONE DOES IN ARTS & SCIENCES.

SO, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WAS A LABORATORY OF SORTS FOR ME. IT ENABLED ME TO LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGY, NETWORKING, INTERPERSONAL SKILLS, INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY, SALES AND MANAGEMENT. IT CULTIVATED MY OPTIMISM AND MY BELIEF THAT DREAMS COULD INDEED BECOME REALITY.

YEARS LATER, IN NEW YORK, SOMEONE ONCE SAID TO ME THAT, WHEN YOU WALK DOWN THE STREETS OF THE CITY, YOU SHOULD LOOK UP. LOOK AHEAD. THE MILES OF TALL BUILDINGS THAT YOU SEE ... EACH ONE OF THEM WAS ONCE JUST A THOUGHT IN SOMEONE'S HEAD. THAT REALLY HIT HOME FOR ME. AND THAT ABILITY - TO HAVE AND FULFILL A VISION - WAS CULTIVATED RIGHT HERE, AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY.

I CONSIDER MYSELF A VERY, VERY FORTUNATE GUY TO HAVE BEEN AT AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION THAT ENABLED ME TO DEVELOP. AND I AM WELL AWARE THAT, FROM THOSE TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS EXPECTED. FOR THAT REASON, SHORTLY AFTER I GRADUATED, I SERVED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE ALUMNI CLUB IN NEW YORK AND I CURRENTLY SERVE AS A MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSITY'S NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES.

I WANT FUTURE GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS TO HAVE THE SAME KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT I HAD. THAT'S WHY MY WIFE PHYLLIS AND I ENDOWED THE MINNIE MAKOVSKY SCHOLARSHIP AT THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES IN 2001. IT'S A TRIBUTE TO MY LATE MOTHER, A GIFTED PIANIST, WHO STUDIED HERE FOR TWO YEARS AND LEFT ... REGRETTING, FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE, THAT SHE HADN'T COMPLETED HER EDUCATION.

WHILE IT'S A PRIVATE INSTITUTION, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SERVES A PUBLIC TRUST. THE UNIVERSITY HAS ALWAYS TRIED TO MAKE IT FINANCIALLY POSSIBLE FOR EVERY STUDENT WHO'S BEEN OFFERED ADMISSION TO ATTEND.

THERE'S AN INSCRIPTION ON THE EAST SIDE OF BROOKINGS HALL. I'M SURE SOME OF YOU HAVE NOTICED IT. IT SAYS, "DISCERE SI CUPIAS INTRA: SALVERE IUBEMUS." IT MEANS, "IF YOU WISH TO LEARN, ENTER: WE WELCOME YOU."

THIS YEAR ALONE, THE UNIVERSITY AWARDED NEARLY $60 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS TO UNDERGRADUATES.  I WAS SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT, WHILE THE PORTION OF SCHOLARSHIPS FROM PHILANTHROPIC SOURCES HAS BEEN INCREASING FOR SEVERAL YEARS, MOST SCHOLARSHIPS STILL COME FROM WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY'S OPERATING FUNDS.

I HAVE BENEFITED PERSONALLY FROM THE GENEROSITY OF OTHER DONORS TO THE UNIVERSITY. THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE HERE LAST YEAR MAY REMEMBER THE SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT WHO SPOKE THEN, A GRADUATING SENIOR NAMED TRAVIS FERBER.

HE NOTED IN HIS SPEECH THAT HE WAS THE FIRST MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE, AND BECAUSE OF THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY AFFORDED HIM HE WOULD ALSO BE THE FIRST FAMILY MEMBER IN SEVERAL GENERATIONS NOT TO ENTER THE FAMILY BUSINESS ... WHICH HAD NEVER INTERESTED HIM.

TRAVIS' EDUCATION INFUSED HIM WITH OPTIMISM ABOUT HIS OWN FUTURE AND GAVE HIM COURAGE TO PURSUE AREAS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNAVAILABLE TO HIM. WE SPOKE AFTER HIS TALK. WE STAYED IN TOUCH, AND EVENTUALLY MY FIRM OFFERED HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME PART OF OUR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. HIS PERFORMANCE WAS SO OUTSTANDING THAT HE IS NOW A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE. TRAVIS COULD NEVER HAVE ATTENDED WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY WITHOUT A SCHOLARSHIP.

THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS TO GIVE. TO MEMORIALIZE SOMEONE. TO MITIGATE TAXES. BECAUSE IT'S A MORAL IMPERATIVE. BECAUSE IT FEELS GOOD. SO THAT YOU CAN BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE DISCOVERY, TRANSMISSION AND PRESERVATION OF KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING AND CULTURAL EXPRESSION. SO THAT YOU CAN FLING OPEN THE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY TO TALENTED YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE LOST TO DREARY LIVES AND UNFULFILLED DREAMS.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM AMONG UNIVERSITY FUND-RAISERS HOLDS THAT FORMER SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS WHO BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN LIFE ARE AMONG THE MOST DEPENDABLE DONORS BECAUSE THEY ARE GRATEFUL TO THE INSTITUTION AND WANT TO LEND A HAND TO THE NEXT GENERATION.

SIDNEY FRANK, THE MAN BEHIND JAGERMEISTER AND GREY GOOSE VODKA, GAVE BROWN UNIVERSITY $100 MILLION FOR FINANCIAL AID IN 2004 ... EVEN THOUGH HE COUL ONLY AFFORD TO ATTEND BROWN FOR ONE YEAR. (ACCORDING TO FRANK, THAT YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME HE SLEPT ON REAL SHEETS INSTEAD OF FLOUR SACKS SEWN TOGETHER.) AND JUST THIS PAST APRIL, MEDIA BARON JOHN W. KLUGE DONATED $400 MILLION TO HIS ALMA MATER, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, FOR FINANCIAL AID. ORIGINALLY AN IMMIGRANT OF MODEST BACKGROUND FROM GERMANY, KLUGE CREDITED COLUMBIA WITH GIVING HIM HIS START IN LIFE.

UNFORTUNATELY, TIMES HAVE CHANGED.

DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A GROWING CONFLICT TODAY BETWEEN DEBT AND DONATIONS? PRIVATE STUDENT LOANS ARE GROWING AN AVERAGE OF 27% EACH YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE COLLEGE BOARD. ALMOST A QUARTER OF COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE FORCED TO USE CREDIT CARDS TO HELP PAY TUITION.

A RECENT SURVEY FOUND THAT STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED WITH NO LOANS WERE TWICE AS LIKELY TO DONATE TO THEIR ALMA MATER. AND THOSE WITH LOANS BELOW $20,000 WERE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO GIVE THAN THOSE WITH HIGHER DEBT. THERE ARE A FEW IVY LEAGUE COLLEGES THAT CAN AFFORD TO MEET THE FULL FINANCIAL NEEDS OF THEIR STUDENTS. PRINCETON, FOR EXAMPLE, SPENDS ABOUT $12 MILLION EXTRA EACH YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT ITS FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS GRADUATE WITH NO LOANS.

IF WE KEEP THE DEBT BURDEN OF OUR STUDENTS MANAGEABLE, WE MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO GIVE BACK TO WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. TO GIVE MORE GENEROUSLY. TO GIVE SOONER, AFTER THEY GRADUATE. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ENSURES THAT THOSE WHOSE EDUCATION WE SUPPORT WILL BE MORE SUCCESSFUL AND WILL BECOME DONORS THEMSELVES. THUS, THE SYSTEM PROPAGATES ITSELF.

SO I AM ISSUING A CLARION CALL TO EVERYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN THE FUTURE. ALUMNI, PARENTS, FRIENDS OF THE UNIVERSITY - WE MUST CONTINUE TO INVEST IN FINANCIAL AID. IT IS ESSENTIAL IF WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THE CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE HERE. AND IT IS A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYONE: STUDENTS, TEACHERS,
SCHOLARS AND THE COMMUNITY BEYOND OUR CLOISTERED WALLS.

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THIS YEAR'S MAKOVSKY SCHOLAR, KATIE AMMANN, HAS TO SAY ABOUT WHAT SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT HAS MEANT TO HER. SHE SAYS, AND I QUOTE, "IT MEANS THAT MY FAMILY AND I WORK AS HARD AS WE CAN TO FUND MY EDUCATION AND WE'LL GET SOME HELP, MAKING IT ALL THE WAY. IT MEANS THAT THERE ARE GREAT PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HELP SOMEONE OUT AND THAT A GREAT EDUCATION LEADS PEOPLE TO FIND BETTER WAYS TO HELP THE WORLD."

I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF.

THANK YOU.