Mr. Pike Powers to the Lamar University Class of 2006 December 16, 2006
Thank you and good morning. Gov. White, pleasure to be with you.
Dr. Simmons distinguished faculty and alumni and the Nobelity Class of 2006.
I’m here today to take it up a notch. President Simmons has complimented you on your achievements, and they are well deserved.
The name of my talk, for a few minutes this morning, is "working for a future you want to see: Lamar University, nobelity and you."
So what does all that mean? Lamar University has never had one of its faculty or a graduate awarded a Nobel prize. Lamar University does not have a faculty member who is a member of the National Academy of Science. I’m here today to take it up a notch. I’m standing before you with the opportunity that this class, the class of 2006, will be the future.
The future that I want to see is that a member of this class will be a recipient of a Noble award. So how about that?
To give you some background on the Nobel Prize. It’s awarded in six categories, since 1901, named after Alfred Nobel, who put up the
money. Awarded every December 10th, so the awards were just made.
It’s on the anniversary of his death. Regardless, of nationality, the awards are made to people who have made valuable contributions to the good of humanity. The awards are given in the following categories:
physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economic science (since 1969), and, of course, the Nobel Peace Prize.
There are 768 Nobel Laureates. Thirty-three of those are women, and
19 to organizations. Rarely is the Nobel Award in error, however, there are many deserving scientists who never receive recognition.
They are the Academy Awards in science. There are 11 Nobel Laureates who reside in Texas. Two recipients in Texas, Jack Kilby and Rick Smalley, are now deceased.
The current Nobel Laureate list in Texas includes physicians around the state with a heavy emphasis on the University of Texas and Texas A&M. Nobody from Texas State University System is on that list.
Jack Kilby recently deceased was the co-inventor of the integrated circuit. Only the ubiquitous integrated circuit that made possible every microchip, every electronics device, every cell phone that you and I now know today.
And Rick Smalley, who received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1996, for his seminal work on the fullerenes or Bucky Balls, as you may know them, has laid the foundation for nanotechnology. The entire discussion of miniaturization, on making things smaller so they can be bigger, is largely due to Rick Smalley’s efforts.
Your future: I know you are here thinking today, just as I might have back in 1962, thinking that I just put myself through college for 32 years and I’m lucky to even be graduating, much less have any business thinking I’m going to make a contribution to the good of humanity. My response to that, of course, as you might expect, is:
Yes, yes, you can. You can make a real difference. I believe within this audience here today there is someone who will join the great pantheon of Nobel Laureates.
And, that’s why your alma mater, courtesy of Dr. Simmons and others, is providing to each and every one of you, a DVD copy of the movie "Nobelity" – produced, directed and created by Dr. Turk Pipkin of Austin, Texas. You’ll get this in the packet with your diploma so please notice that it’s there. The movie is a series of interviews, taken around the world, of Nobel Laureates on a wide range of problems facing our world today.
It is a stunning look at the world’s most pressing problems through the eyes of Nobel Laureates. "Nobelity" follows filmmaker Pipkin’s personal journey into France, England, India and Kenya. And this student body alone is represented by 16 countries. "Nobelity"
combines the insights of nine distinguished Nobelists with a first- person view of world problems and the children who are most challenged by them.
Two are Texans – Steven Weinberg, who works in Austin, and Rick
Smalley, who is now deceased. Very smart people, and very, human.
They put their pants on one leg at a time, just like you and me. At the end of the day, as it should be, they are "down to earth." After all, isn’t that what it is all about?
The categories that are in your movie in your packet include interviews on persistence, peace, reason, challenges, love — Desmond Tutu, I’ll come back to him in a minute —, disparities, decision, changes and knowledge.
This year’s awards, by the way, have been made to Muhammed Yunus, for micro lending, and to John Mather of NASA for finally sealing the big- bang theory of the universe.
Nobelity, your movie, runs eighty-six minutes. Please, watch it.
Watch it several times. Humor me a bit. Listen to its message.
Jody Williams, who single-handedly initiated international opposition to land mines, is profiled and interviewed. Her advice: "There is nothing magic about change, It’s about getting off your a-- and taking action on an issue you care about. It’s not a magical vision for the future – it’s working for the future you want to see."
It’s not rocket science, its inspiration, perspiration and innovation.
Tom Friedman has written a book called The World is Flat. This is how competitive our world is today.
"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the fastest lion, or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It does not matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up you had better be running."
"Nobelity" – your movie – closes with an interview with Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, on the topic of love, observing that you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time…the world’s problems must be addressed one bite, one piece at a time. Air pollution, energy, global warming, and electricity to third-world countries, on and on. Which of you will dare to try what others have failed? Dare to try what others have failed or neglected, and to do that to make dramatic improvements for mankind? Profound stuff, indeed, for a boy from Beaumont, who never would have thought he would be on this dais making this kind of speech to you.
Let me call your attention as I ease into my closing remarks about the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science in Texas. It was created in 2004 by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and includes every
Nobel Laureate in the state. They meet once a year for two days.
Two hundred people are members who are members of the National Academy of Science. I urge you to follow their work – its valuable.
Lamar’s future is bright … and getting brighter!
Lamar is providing Texas, not just Beaumont or Southeast Texas, but Texas and the world, leadership for economic development and national research in numerous research areas: The Texas Hazardous Waste Research Center, the Gulf Coast Hazardous Substance Research Center, the Texas Air Research Center, Center for Fuel Cell & Energy Systems Green Composite Research Center, Center for Transportation/Ports & Waterways, Center for Process & Information Technology, Aldredge Air Quality Modeling Center Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, Small Business Development Center, Global Studies & Study Abroad.
The fuel cell and hydrogen initiative that takes advantage of Lamar’s location in this nation’s largest hydrogen economy – 45 percent of the nation’s hydrogen is produced in the region. Lamar has invested in a new fuel cell and energy systems laboratory that is the envy of the other universities in Texas and ranks among the best in the nation, and we are working with various projects with Nobel Laureates.
So, if I can come, as Texas Monthly once called me, a short fat round- faced lawyer from Beaumont, to know Nobel Laureates and work with them … if Turk Pipkin who is a 6-foot-7 writer and juggler can comfortably interview them – then you can aspire to be one. Your class is now designated as the "Nobelity Class of 2006." I know that one or two or more of you are going to make a real difference…and that there will be an Oscar or two, a Pulitzer or three, a Presidential Medal of Science, among others things that will go with that first Nobel. The Moon or Mars, no matter, are in sight of your
personal spaceship. Inspiration and perspiration and innovation.
You can do it.
No commencement address would be complete without a few quotations. I have just a couple.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge." – Albert Einstein, a Nobel Laureate And from everyone’s favorite– Mr. Anonymous "The right answer to the wrong question will always mislead.
The trick is asking the right question."
So, in conclusion I’ve turned to some of the more profound thinkers of our time.
Energy, matter and even the dimension of time are not only related, they seem to manifestations of the same. As the theoretical physicists now largely agree, nothing is impossible and everything is defined by every participatory factor and is even influenced by the act of observation.
While a number of Einstein’s quotes, come to mind, I am also reminded of Texas champion golfer Lee Trevino’s insight. "Trees are 90
percent air" and "You can talk to a fade, but a hook won’t listen."
Trevino knows a lot about applied energy, physics and aerodynamics.
Perhaps most importantly Trevino understands humans and universal laws. He’s a Nobel Laureate in his own way, without the award. He
says: "Somebody has to win these tournaments. It might as well be me." And that’s not bad advice.
So it might as well be any of us. Any of us, anybody in this room. It might as well be Lamar alumni winning the tournaments, winning tomorrow’s Nobel Prizes, changing the world. It might as well be you. It might as well be now.
Let me say a couple things in closing. I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to be here today. My remarks reflect that it takes a village. Approximately 100 people commented in some fashion on my speech. Changed a word, changed a sentence, changed a paragraph.
Three Nobel Laureates had a hand in that. A number of people who have run the CIA and the National Security Agency of this country had a hand in that. A distinguished list of people who may not have known very much about Lamar now know a lot about Lamar because they helped write my speech. The message is that it takes five "c"s – you’ve got to communicate, connect, coordinate, collaborate, and celebrate. So, we’re all in this together.
It’s a big world. The challenges lie fully ahead of you as you graduate from Lamar. I look forward to the time when I can show up in Stockholm or Oslo to see one of you receive the award.
Let me leave you with the traditional Irish blessing that I’m particularly fond of– "May the road rise to meet you May the wind be always at your back The sun shine warm upon your face The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again, "May God hold you in the hollow of his hand."
God bless you. God bless Texas. Thank you very much.
