K's Commencement Speech

[ipatent]

Would love to watch it if anyone can find a link.

I'm sure he considers it one of his greatest honors..something rarely bestowed on a sports coach at a school like Duke. Hopefully the recent surgery didn't make it impossible to give his all.

[Native]

Would love to watch it if anyone can find a link.

I'm sure he considers it one of his greatest honors..something rarely bestowed on a sports coach at a school like Duke. Hopefully the recent surgery didn't make it impossible to give his all.

You can watch a recording of the entire commencement ceremony here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cAPpWkKU1U). Coach's speech starts at around the 1:32:00 mark. Fair warning: there's a very significant delay between video and audio.

[MCFinARL]

You can watch a recording of the entire commencement ceremony here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cAPpWkKU1U). Coach's speech starts at around the 1:32:00 mark. Fair warning: there's a very significant delay between video and audio.

If you just want the highlights, Duke Chronicle has a Storify assemblage of tweets, photos, and short video clips, available here (https://storify.com/dukechronicle/coach-k-imparts-advice-to-class-of-2016?utm_source=embed_header). From this it sounds like a pretty vintage K speech on the importance of surrounding yourself with good people, finding a good team, and working together.

[ipatent]

He's moving pretty well considering the recent surgery.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

He's moving pretty well considering the recent surgery.
Considering that he's had two procedures, one right after the other, yes...that he is!

[dukelifer]

If you just want the highlights, Duke Chronicle has a Storify assemblage of tweets, photos, and short video clips, available here (https://storify.com/dukechronicle/coach-k-imparts-advice-to-class-of-2016?utm_source=embed_header). From this it sounds like a pretty vintage K speech on the importance of surrounding yourself with good people, finding a good team, and working together.

That was it exactly. A few references to Grayson, Amile and Kobe and couple of words of wisdom from his mom. I did not realize that he married the same day he graduated from West Point. He asked if any students were planning to do the same- none raised their hands.

[BandAlum83]

That was it exactly. A few references to Grayson, Amile and Kobe and couple of words of wisdom from his mom. I did not realize that he married the same day he graduated from West Point. He asked if any students were planning to do the same- none raised their hands.

I graduated in 1983, and sorry to say I can't for the life of me remember who gave our commencement speech. I do remember that after going to my brother's at Notre Dame 2 years earlier and seeing brand new president Reagan, I wondered why we couldn't get an 'A' lister at Duke.

It probably was a great speaker, but I remember thinking at the time that the theme and message was rather cliche. I apologize right now to whomever it was for this, but 33 years might be enough time.

The duke.edu website lists from 1987 forward, and the list is pretty impressive. Anyone out here know who it was in 1983?

[ipatent]

I graduated in 1983, and sorry to say I can't for the life of me remember who gave our commencement speech. I do remember that after going to my brother's at Notre Dame 2 years earlier and seeing brand new president Reagan, I wondered why we couldn't get an 'A' lister at Duke.

It probably was a great speaker, but I remember thinking at the time that the theme and message was rather cliche. I apologize right now to whomever it was for this, but 33 years might be enough time.

The duke.edu website lists from 1987 forward, and the list is pretty impressive. Anyone out here know who it was in 1983?

https://today.duke.edu/2012/01/marysemans

[ramdevil]

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, of course.

I recall champagne corks hitting the stage. I think this may have been the last graduation held on East Campus? It rained all morning, then stopped just before graduation.

-ramdevil

[Duke71]

You can watch a recording of the entire commencement ceremony here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cAPpWkKU1U). Coach's speech starts at around the 1:32:00 mark. Fair warning: there's a very significant delay between video and audio.

This 29 min. YouTube upload of only Prez Brodhead's intro and Coach K's speech in its entirety to the graduates is "hot off the presses" (only 156 views so far). I didn't realize until I viewed Dr. Brodhead introducing K that Coach K couldn't be conferred an honorary degree because he's an employee of Duke.

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22NhSu1IxwY

[BandAlum83]

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, of course.

I recall champagne corks hitting the stage. I think this may have been the last graduation held on East Campus? It rained all morning, then stopped just before graduation.

-ramdevil

Thank you. I remember the rain. I remember thinking we couldn't draw a speaker from outside the Duke Family. Reading her obituary, she seemed to be an amazing woman.

I was way way way in the back.

It seems so long ago and quite the blur.

[BandAlum83]

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, of course.

I recall champagne corks hitting the stage. I think this may have been the last graduation held on East Campus? It rained all morning, then stopped just before graduation.

-ramdevil

I guess you were close to the front. Do you remember anything about the speech?

[madscavenger]

https://commencement.duke.edu/previous-commencement-speakers (Keynote Speakers)

Keynote Speakers

2015 Paul Farmer, Co-founder, Partners In Health

2014 General Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

2013 Melinda Gates, Philanthropist and Businesswoman

2012 Fareed Zakaria, Journalist and Foreign Policy Author

2011 John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco

2010 Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi banker/economist

2009 Oprah Winfrey, Philanthropist

2008 Barbara Kingsolver, Writer

2007 G. Richard Wagoner, Jr., Chair and CEO, General Motors

2006 John Hope Franklin, J. B. Duke Professor Emeritus of History

2005 Ricardo Lagos, President of Chile

2004 Madeleine Albright, Sixty-fourth U.S. Secretary of State

2003 Nannerl O. Keohane, excerpts from Kofi Annan’s speech & comments from Honorary degree recipients

2002 Thomas K. Wolfe, Jr., Journalist

2001 Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Broadcast Journalist

2000 Elizabeth Hanford Dole, Public Servant

1999 Corinne Boggs Roberts (Cokie), Broadcast Journalist

1998 George H. W. Bush, 41st President of U.S.

1997 James Earl Carter, Jr., 39th President of U.S.

1996 Jane Alexander, Chairman, NEA

1995 David Gergen, Former presidential adviser, Prof. In Public Policy

1994 Judy Woodruff, Broadcast Journalist

1993 Bill Bradley, United States Senator, New Jersey

1992 Marian Wright Edelman, lawyer, educator, crusader for children’s rights

1991 George F. Will, syndicated columnist, educator, political commentator

1990 Tom Brokaw, Television Journalist

1989 Stephen Jay Gould, Historian of Science and Professor of Geology, Harvard University

1988 Garry B. Trudeau, Nationally Syndicated Cartoonist

1987 Edward (Ted) Koppel, Broadcast Journalist

[madscavenger]

http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/uacomexref/

This link includes the names of Speakers going back to 1931. See Address.


Under Contents of the Collection you will find the entry " Speakers: Commencement, 1893-; Baccalaureate, 1892-

Box 2" . i suspect additional info would be included in Box 2, however you must request access.

[sagegrouse]

In response to a reference upstream to Ronald Reagan speaking while president at Notre Dame and wondering about such a speaker at Duke: Truth be told, a first-term or would-be president is unlikely to speak at Duke, barring unusual circumstances, because of electoral considerations. He (or she) would speak at graduation in Chapel Hill because it is a much bigger school and has tons more alumni in (and fans) in NC. In fact, I can remember Gov. Terry Sanford introducing President Kennedy at UNC in the early 1960's, although it wasn't graduation. Heck, when Obama played pick-up basketball, he played at UNC.

Well, what electoral considerations led Reagan to speak at Notre Dame? Surely you jest. It wasn't about votes in Indiana.

Ronald Reagan did speak at Duke in 1988, as part of a campaign against drug abuse. He was the first sitting president to speak at Duke (or Trinity) since Teddy Roosevelt came through Durham in "ought-three," as my great Uncle Fred referred to the early days of the 20th century.

I hope this message makes sense -- it seems to be a jumble of half-thoughts.

Kindly,
Sage Grouse

[ipatent]

Thank you. I remember the rain.

I don't remember that, but you may be right.


I remember thinking we couldn't draw a speaker from outside the Duke Family.

I do remember friends around me expressing that.


Reading her obituary, she seemed to be an amazing woman.

Agreed. Her efforts to make the world a kinder place probably weren't fully conveyed to the graduating class at the time. Not everyone would do that.

[weezie]

Back to K's speech, he clearly loves talking to crowds. And he is a man who is very comfortable in his own skin but still demands much of himself.

That must be where the will to run through brick walls for him is born in his players.

[DU82]

http://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/uacomexref/

This link includes the names of Speakers going back to 1931. See Address.


Under Contents of the Collection you will find the entry " Speakers: Commencement, 1893-; Baccalaureate, 1892-

Box 2" . i suspect additional info would be included in Box 2, however you must request access.

I see '82's speaker, Hanna Gray, the (then) president of the University of Chicago, wasn't listed. When announced, I was disappointed we didn't get a bigger "name", but while I can't tell you exactly what she talked about, it was a lot better than I expected.

And since things always get recycled here, there's a 2008 thread on the off-topic forum called "Graduation speakers" (not sure how to link to it, perhaps a moderator could for me.)

Turns out Dr. Gray was considered one of the better speakers. So I am remembering that part correctly. Also, an absolutely beautiful day on East campus. The ceremony was moved to East in '80, I believe, while Wallace Wade's concrete was being repaired (for the first time since 1928) and it went over so well they held the next few there. But after the 1983 ceremony, with the on-and-off rain, the logistics of moving from East to Cameron (rain site) were too much to do at the last second, and the ceremony moved back to WW.

[ramdevil]

I guess you were close to the front. Do you remember anything about the speech?

No, nothing. Except that is was better than Paul Farmer's speech.

I mostly remember my grandmother insisting that she see my get my diploma, which was handed out in the East Duke Building. And she had to climb over a chain to follow me in. This scene is now family lore.


-ramdevil

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

No, nothing. Except that is was better than Paul Farmer's speech.

I mostly remember my grandmother insisting that she see my get my diploma, which was handed out in the East Duke Building. And she had to climb over a chain to follow me in. This scene is now family lore.


-ramdevil

As a grandmother with similar tendencies, I'd love to meet her. We're like a dog on a bone when it comes to getting to see our grandkids succeeding! I always wear pants in case I have to jump a fence, scale a wall or something!
Bet she's a honey!
Love, Ima

[Bostondevil]

If the student speaker from my year, Class of '85, posts here, I apologize in advance for what I am about to say. I thought at the time that if that truly was the speech that won the competition to be student speaker, either nobody else entered or we as a graduating student body should be ashamed of ourselves. Utterly and truly ashamed.

Actually, no, I don't apologize. I hope, 30 years on, you realize your speech was terrible.

He spelled out D-U-K-E, D is for dedication, yada, yada, 5 minutes on dedication, U is for whatever ridiculous concept he came up with that started with a U, yada, yada, 5 minutes on U, ugh, and so on. The next person to the podium made the joke, "Thank goodness we aren't at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology!" For real. That actually happened. And yes, I still remember it 31 years later because it was that bad.

My son graduated on Sunday. His student speaker was much better.

Coach K, of course, rocked. I actually heard a graduate student complain before the ceremony that couldn't they have gotten somebody from outside the Duke family. And I told him - you are so very, very lucky to be getting Coach K, he's a good speaker and doesn't do this kind of thing very often. (I didn't know it was never before!)

[madscavenger]

Why stop at 33? How about "The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga". Go Mocs!

[Henderson]

A bit off topic, but in 1981, the commencement speaker was William Styron. His speech was entitled, "Against Fear" and was published as a broadside by Stuart Wright at Paleamon Press. It was funny and witty with an incisive point: We ought not fear the Soviet threat, though we hate it. Four years later, he came out as deeply clinically depressed, a condition that he'd suffered from for years and wrote about confessionally later. Four years after that, the Berlin Wall fell. I know that's not meaningful for most, but I still think about it all. Good news: Bill Styron lived to be 81.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Dr. Robert S. Rankin, professor in the Duke Political Science Department and member of the Civil Rights Commission, was the graduation speaker on a hot day back in June 1967. He was a good speaker, one of my favorite professors. It's hard to remember what was said that day because a bomb threat was phoned in in the midst of the ceremony in Indoor Stadium, so we evacuated and reassembled in the Chapel for what might have been the last graduation ceremony in the Chapel.