Phi Beta Kappa Installation
A great university is built by taking small steps everyday. However, there are events that are turning points in a university’s history – events that change its reputation and its self-concept forever. In recent history, there have been two such events at Clemson. In the 1980’s, one was winning a national championship in football. It may seem odd to be talking about sports at an academic event but that championship caused us to start thinking of ourselves differently. It raised our expectations; it made us think we could compete with anyone; it made us see our competition as national, not statewide or regional. It changed our self-concept.
In the 1990’s another course-changing event was the construction of the Brooks Center. Building this facility in the heart of campus, directly adjacent to facilities associated with our traditional land-grant programs in agriculture and forestry, changed the way we thought about a Clemson education. It wasn’t all about science, engineering and agriculture. It was also about performing and visual arts. It set new standards of quality for theatrical and musical productions – whether those productions featured student groups or professional actors and musicians. Once again, it raised our expectations and changed our self-concept.
For the first decade of the 21st century, today is another such course-changing event. Having a Phi Beta Kappa chapter puts us in some new company. It means that even though we do not have a traditional college of liberal arts and sciences, our programs meet the highest standards of excellence. It puts us in an elite category with only 10 percent of the nation’s colleges and universities. Once again, it raises our expectations and changes our self-concept.
It is a category where we belong. I see this milestone as continuing the legacy of such great teachers as D.W. Daniel in English and communications, Mark Bernard Hardin in chemistry, John Lane in English, and a long and distinguished list of Clemson faculty in the arts and sciences. This chapter is a tribute to the quality of our faculty and our students. Phi Beta Kappa chapters are not awarded to institutions: They are awarded to faculty.
Somehow I believe Professors Daniel, Lane, Hardin and their colleagues are smiling right now / that these students will graduate “Phi Beta Kappa at Clemson University.”
These words belong together in one sentence.
In 1999, as a finalist for the presidency of my alma mater, I was asked by Trustees to define my vision for Clemson’s future – and I said that I thought Clemson should be ranked among the nation’s top 20 public universities, and that we should set and achieve the highest possible goals in every arena – in academics, athletics, student achievement, research and public service and I specifically listed having a Phi Beta Kappa chapter awarded to our faculty as one of these goals. Today this dream is becoming a reality.
George and Helen Fant, Jens Holley and many others in this room have been working and waiting for this day for 10 years or more. It’s everything I thought it would be.
My sincere thanks to all who have made this day possible.