In his biography, The Boy From Altheimer, William H. Bowen—for whom the University of Arkansas Little Rock School of Law is named—said that Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton had a framed quote in his office that read: “The way to save your soul is through public service.”
In his book Dean Bowen added that public service was also the way to save a community’s soul.
My name is Skip Rutherford, Dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, welcoming you to our second graduation.
After 9/11, after the Tsunami and after Katrina, people across the world developed a new interest in serving and in giving. This commitment has been highlighted in many ways, including record applicants for the Peace Corps, Teach for America and Americorps. It also manifested itself in a new academic discipline that would be kin to—but different from—public administration and public policy.
President Clinton, Dr. Alan Sugg, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education collectively initiated the nation’s first master’s degree in public service. Deans David Pryor and Tom Bruce deserve great credit for its successful launch. A special thanks to President Sugg, Stanley Reed and the other members of the UofA Board for their commitment and confidence.
Attracting the best and brightest from Arkansas and bringing the best and brightest to Arkansas, this school is unique because of its emphasis on hands-on, in the field public service work. And you, the members of this graduating class, have elevated our public service commitment to a much higher level. Along the way you also helped develop our new Center on Community Philanthropy which has unlimited potential and could in fact help change the world.
You served on all six inhabited continents. You survived the Tsunami. You personally faced down typhoid and malaria. You confronted racial, religious and ethnic differences. You saw children and families in unbelievable living conditions and you experienced inequities in education, health care and financial resources.
But you didn’t shy away from the obstacles. In partnership with the Clinton Foundation, you built health clinics in Malawi; with our neighbors at Heifer, you helped develop dairy farms which could change the quality of life in Kenya and throughout Africa; you worked with the World Bank on disaster relief; you rescued young people whose lives had been chained because of drugs; you advocated housing rights in the Czech Republic and you thwarted child domestic laborers in Nepal.
But you also didn’t forget from where you came. Your work on various projects in the Arkansas Delta continued the commitment this school made from day one. Your efforts, in partnership with the Bowen Law School, to help revitalize the South Main Street business district and neighborhood will be of great long-term benefit to our city. Your commitments, individually and collectively, to City Year, the Thea Foundation, the Battered Woman’s Shelter and Our House, among others, keeps hope alive for many.
And through a friendly character named Flat Stanley, you assisted First Lady Ginger Beebe, in opening all kinds of possibilities for Arkansas elementary school children who’ve never dreamed of being at the equator, or flying across the ocean or seeing gorillas in the wild.
In the spirit of President Kennedy’s Peace Corps, of President Bush’s Thousand Points of Light and of President Clinton’s Americorps, you are their living legacy. President Kennedy asked what you could do for your country; President Reagan said to tear down that wall; and President Clinton said while our differences matter, our common humanity matters more….and we should all be building bridges.
Now graduates, it’s your time and your turn.
In his book Dean Bowen added that public service was also the way to save a community’s soul.
My name is Skip Rutherford, Dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, welcoming you to our second graduation.
After 9/11, after the Tsunami and after Katrina, people across the world developed a new interest in serving and in giving. This commitment has been highlighted in many ways, including record applicants for the Peace Corps, Teach for America and Americorps. It also manifested itself in a new academic discipline that would be kin to—but different from—public administration and public policy.
President Clinton, Dr. Alan Sugg, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education collectively initiated the nation’s first master’s degree in public service. Deans David Pryor and Tom Bruce deserve great credit for its successful launch. A special thanks to President Sugg, Stanley Reed and the other members of the UofA Board for their commitment and confidence.
Attracting the best and brightest from Arkansas and bringing the best and brightest to Arkansas, this school is unique because of its emphasis on hands-on, in the field public service work. And you, the members of this graduating class, have elevated our public service commitment to a much higher level. Along the way you also helped develop our new Center on Community Philanthropy which has unlimited potential and could in fact help change the world.You served on all six inhabited continents. You survived the Tsunami. You personally faced down typhoid and malaria. You confronted racial, religious and ethnic differences. You saw children and families in unbelievable living conditions and you experienced inequities in education, health care and financial resources.
But you didn’t shy away from the obstacles. In partnership with the Clinton Foundation, you built health clinics in Malawi; with our neighbors at Heifer, you helped develop dairy farms which could change the quality of life in Kenya and throughout Africa; you worked with the World Bank on disaster relief; you rescued young people whose lives had been chained because of drugs; you advocated housing rights in the Czech Republic and you thwarted child domestic laborers in Nepal.
But you also didn’t forget from where you came. Your work on various projects in the Arkansas Delta continued the commitment this school made from day one. Your efforts, in partnership with the Bowen Law School, to help revitalize the South Main Street business district and neighborhood will be of great long-term benefit to our city. Your commitments, individually and collectively, to City Year, the Thea Foundation, the Battered Woman’s Shelter and Our House, among others, keeps hope alive for many.
And through a friendly character named Flat Stanley, you assisted First Lady Ginger Beebe, in opening all kinds of possibilities for Arkansas elementary school children who’ve never dreamed of being at the equator, or flying across the ocean or seeing gorillas in the wild.
In the spirit of President Kennedy’s Peace Corps, of President Bush’s Thousand Points of Light and of President Clinton’s Americorps, you are their living legacy. President Kennedy asked what you could do for your country; President Reagan said to tear down that wall; and President Clinton said while our differences matter, our common humanity matters more….and we should all be building bridges.
Now graduates, it’s your time and your turn. I hope what you’ve learned, what you’ve experienced, the people you’ve met, the connections you made, the diverse speakers you’ve heard, the opportunities you’ve had and the challenges and frustrations that you’ve faced, will all serve you well.
I wish you the very best now and in the future. And, on behalf of the Clinton School faculty staff, I congratulate you and your families on this special day.
James L. "Skip" Rutherford
Dean
University of Arkansas
Clinton School of Public Service
I wish you the very best now and in the future. And, on behalf of the Clinton School faculty staff, I congratulate you and your families on this special day.
James L. "Skip" Rutherford
Dean
University of Arkansas
Clinton School of Public Service
1 comment:
Gostei muito desse post e seu blog é muito interessante, vou passar por aqui sempre =) Depois dá uma passada lá no meu site, que é sobre o CresceNet, espero que goste. O endereço dele é http://www.provedorcrescenet.com . Um abraço.
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