“Within these century-old walls, the walls that welcomed the great classical musicians of Europe, ragtime and jazz and big band, the talkies, Hair, David Bowie, Lady Gaga: Let’s make change happen…And let the vision extend outside these walls: throughout the campus, into the museums and historic structures, the cottages, to the farm site and gardens, and on the waterfront. All along our tremendous waterfront. Let our vision usher in transformation to this great institution, all the while honoring its storied past.”

“But along the way to becoming a grown-up I have learned that humility is a good thing. And I learned that the hard way, as many of you will learn the most important of life’s lessons, because there is no truth as powerful as the truth you discover for yourself.”

“My mother’s determination in the face of adversity – her willingness to take that leap of faith to achieve her dreams – is her trademark, and we know we have not seen the last of it. We honor you tonight, for the work of your past, and your present – but also for the hope you give us for the future. Your determination brings to mind the words of another champion of universal healthcare: ‘The work begins anew… The hope rises again. And the dream lives on.’ We – your family, your friends, your colleagues, your community – We know you are not done yet.
But we are immensely grateful for what has already come to pass.”

“Much has been said about your generation’s challenges and opportunities, and how different the world is now. You have unlimited access to technology, information and prospects that were not yet known to us. I don’t need to talk about “girl power” or the fact that there are opportunities for women now that didn’t exist even two decades ago. By now that idea should be as natural to you as breathing, and I hope that from your perspective, that glass is more than half full and getting fuller. And hopefully, you don’t need a Hollywood screenwriter to tell you that ‘Smart girls have more fun.’ Smart will always be in style.”

“Performance. Integrity. Pride. Those three words stretch across a lapel pin he wears every day. They’ve been perched on his lapel since almost two years ago, but they’ve defined his career as a public servant from its beginning.”

“In an industry known for glamour and grandstanding, he is content to ‘speak softly and carry a big stick.’ And the understated chairman and CEO has wielded an enormous stick, indeed: a portfolio of heritage and lifestyle brands that comprises the $6 billion empire of the world’s largest apparel maker.”

“Fortune Magazine recently dubbed her ‘the IT girl,’ but we like to think of her as the woman who saved hundreds of thousands of female feet last summer. Her IT shoe, the Reva ballet flat, was the must-have item for women worldwide, and especially in Manhattan, where hoards of previously high-heeled ladies breathed a collective sigh of relief.”