HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL, BUT OFTEN THE PUMP MUST BE PRIMED,
AND NO ONE WORKS THE HANDLE MORE DILIGENTLY THAN JOHN P. HOWE III.
AN ACTIVE LEADER IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICAL DIPLOMACY, HEALTH
POLICY AND BUSINESS,
HE SERVED FOR 14 YEARS AS PRESIDENT AND
CEO OF PROJECT HOPE,
AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES
HEALTHCARE OFTEN AS A FIRST RESPONDER TO DISASTER AND CRISIS
FOR THE WORLD'S MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
DURING DR. HOWE'S TENURE, PROJECT HOPE LIVED UP TO ITS
NAME, CARRYING OUT NUMEROUS RELIEF MISSIONS WHILE EXPANDING
ITS DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICINE,
TREATMENT OF DISEASE, AND PROMOTION OF HEALTH EDUCATION
AND LIFE IMPROVEMENT FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
DR. HOWE ALSO SERVED 15 YEARS AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT SAN ANTONIO
AND REMAINS PRESIDENT EMERITUS.
UNDER HIS GUIDANCE, THE MEDICAL, NURSING, BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES,
PHARMACY, DENTAL AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES PROGRAMS ALL
ROSE TO NATIONAL PROMINENCE.
PRIOR TO THAT HE HELPED DEVELOP THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
MEDICAL SCHOOL,
ULTIMATELY SERVING AS A ITS ACADEMIC DEAN
AND AS VICE CHANCELLOR OF ITS MEDICAL CENTER.
THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER DR. HOWE
HAS ADVOCATED FOR THE IMPORTANCE
OF MEDICAL RESEARCH.
HE HAS SPOKEN IN MORE THAN 30 STATES AND 20 COUNTRIES,
PRESENTED TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS,
AND WRITTEN OR COWRITTEN MORE THAN 45 ARTICLES, CHAPTERS, AND
ABSTRACTS.
DR. HOWE IS A GRADUATE OF AMHERST COLLEGE,
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE,
AND HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL'S PROGRAM IN HEALTH SYSTEMS
MANAGEMENT.
HE IS BOARD CERTIFIED IN BOTH INTERNAL MEDICINE AND
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.
AMONG HIS MANY AWARDS ARE THE U.S. ARMY COMMANDER'S AWARD FOR
PUBLIC SERVICE
AND THE SURGEON GENERAL'S EXEMPLARY SERVICE
AWARD.
DR. HOWE SERVES ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY
AND THE BOARD OF VISITORS OF THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF
PUBLIC HEALTH.
HE HAS RECEIVED DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS FROM BOTH THE
UNIVERSITY AND OUR SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.
WILL YOU OFFER A WARM MARSH CHAPEL WELCOME TO THIS YEAR'S
BACCALAUREATE SPEAKER, JOHN HOWE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
WE COME TOGETHER ON A VERY SPECIAL DAY IN THE LIFE OF
BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
MARSH CHAPEL AND THE CLASS OF 2019.
FOR THE UNIVERSITY, IT WAS JUST 150 YEARS AGO
THAT THE GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS, WILLIAM
CLAFLIN, SIGNED ACT OF 1869, WHICH FIRST CHARTERED BOSTON
UNIVERSITY.
FOR THE CHAPEL, IT'S NOW 70 YEARS SINCE ITS GROUND BREAKING
IN 1949.
AND FOR THE GRADUATES, IT IS 146TH COMMENCEMENT OF
THE UNIVERSITY,
A VERY SPECIAL DAY INDEED.
IN PREPARING THIS YEAR'S BACCALAUREATE ADDRESS,
I REVIEWED THE MESSAGES SHARED FROM THIS
PULPIT BY MY PREDECESSORS IN EACH OF THE PAST TEN YEARS.
DR. GLORIA WHITE HAMMOND SPOKE OF STEPPING UP WITH COURAGE,
STEPPING OUT ON FAITH,
STEPPING FORWARD WITH DETERMINATION.
DR. WAFAA EL-SADR: NEVER SUCCUMB TO THE CULTURE OF "NO."
DR. AHMED ZEWAIL: HARD WORK AND COMPASSION ARE REQUIRED FOR A
GOOD LIFE.
JUDGE SANDRA LYNCH: USE THE TOOLS OF DEMOCRACY, FREE SPEECH
AND VOTING, TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY SAFE AND FLOURISHING.
BISHOP PETER WEAVER: DREAM WITH YOUR EYES OPEN.
DR. NANCY HOPKINS: COMPLETE THE SOCIAL REVOLUTION.
THE REVEREND CORNELL BROOKS: THE SUREST PATH TO MERITOCRACY
IS DIVERSITY.
DR. CARRIE HESSLER-RADELET: CHOOSE OPTIMISM, MAKE
RELATIONSHIPS YOUR PRIORITY AND MAKE SERVICE YOUR MINDSET.
DR. MARIO MOLINA: USE THE SKILL OF THOUSAND LEARN, WHICH YOU
GAINED AT BU.
AND LASTLY, ONE YEAR AGO, CARMEN YULIN CRUZ SOTO:
CHANGE THE WORLD WE LIVE IN, STAND UP, BE
FEARLESS AND BE COUNTED.
I THEN SPENT A DELIGHTFUL AFTERNOON WITH, AFTERNOON WITH
THREE LEADERS OF THE UNIVERSITY'S SENIOR CLASS.
THREE OUTSTANDING YOUNG WOMEN MAJORING
IN ADVERTISING, HISTORY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS,
AND ASKED THEM FOR THEIR
OBSERVATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE UNIVERSITY AND BEYOND.
THEY TOLD ME HOW THE UNIVERSITY HAS CHANGED THEIR LIVES
AND HAD PREPARED THEM FOR A GLOBAL
SOCIETY,
HOW THEY GAINED A GREATER SENSE OF SELF AND
PURPOSE,
DEVELOPED CONFIDENCE AND FOUND THEIR VOICE,
AND HOW, WITH TIME SPENT OVERSEAS, THEY
HAD BECOME, IN THEIR WORDS, CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.
THEY WERE INSPIRING IN THEIR WISH TO USE SKILLS AND TALENTS
GAINED AT THE UNIVERSITY,
AGAIN IN THEIR WORDS,
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
WITH THIS AS A WAY OF BACKGROUND, I WILL NOW DEPART,
DEPART FROM THE TRADITIONAL THEMES OF
PAST BACCALAUREATE SPEAKERS,
INTEGRITY, COURAGE, INDEPENDENCE AND TOLERANCE,
TO ADDRESS A THEME INSPIRED BY THESE THREE
SENIOR CLASS LEADERS.
AND THAT IS THE THEME OF "MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD."
I WILL DO SO BY SHARING MY EXPERIENCE OF USING A BOSTON
UNIVERSITY MEDICAL DEGREE
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE
WORLD BY ENGAGING IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS CITIZEN DIPLOMACY,
DIPLOMACY IN WHICH ORDINARY CITIZENS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
AND I WILL CITE EXAMPLES FROM INDONESIA, CHINA, IRAQ AND HERE
IN OUR OWN COUNTRY, MISSISSIPPI.
THE CALL CAME FROM ADMIRAL VERN CLARK, THE CHIEF OF U.S. NAVAL
OPERATIONS, AFTER THE INDONESIAN TSUNAMI.
HE SAID, "DOC, THIS IS VERN CLARK, THE CNO.
I HAVE A NOVEL IDEA."
"WHAT ISN'T NOVEL IS TO SEND THE NAVY HOSPITAL SHIP TO MERCY TO
BANDA ACEH."
"WHAT IS NOVEL IS TO HAVE IT STAFFED BY YOU, NOT THE NAVY."
"THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE."
THE 1,000 BED HOSPITAL SHIP MERCY ARRIVED IN BANDA ACEH WITH
220 PROJECT HOPE VOLUNTEER PHYSICIANS AND NURSES.
TWO-THIRDS OF THEM FROM BOSTON AND THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL
HOSPITAL,
WHO THEN CARED FOR 50,000 PATIENTS BEFORE RETURNING
HOME SIX WEEKS LATER.
THE IMPACT OF THE VOLUNTEERS COULD BE DESCRIBED IN HUMAN
TERMS AS WELL.
ONE OF THE 50,000 PATIENTS WAS LITTLE IQBAL.
LITTLE IQBAL, AN 11-YEAR-OLD BOY, WAS FISHING WITH
HIS DAD
WHEN ONE OF THE THREE 100-FOOT TSUNAMI WAVES THREW
THEIR WOODEN BOAT AGAINST THE SHORE, KILLING HIS DAD.
THE BOY SUFFERED A CARDIAC ARREST,
WAS INTUBATED BY A VOLUNTEER PHYSICIAN
AND WAS FLOWN TO THE HOSPITAL SHIP.
TWO WEEKS LATER, IQBAL, AS HE WAS LEAVING THE SHIP, THE COMMANDING
OFFICER OF THE SHIP GAVE HIM A TRADITIONAL CAPTAIN'S COIN.
ONE YEAR LATER WHEN THE HOSPITAL SHIP RETURNED TO BANDA ACEH,
LITTLE IQBAL RAN ON THE DOCK AND SHOWED THE COIN TO ONE OF THE
VOLUNTEER NURSE WHOSE SAVED HIS LIFE THE YEAR BEFORE.
HE TOLD HER, EVERY MORNING, I RUBBED -- I RUBBED AND I RUBBED
IT, HOPING TO SHIP WOULD COME BACK, AND IT DID.
SURVEYS CONDUCTED AFTER THESE VISITS OF THE HOSPITAL SHIP
MERCY TO INDONESIA,
A COUNTRY WITH THE LARGEST MUSLIM
POPULATION,
SHOWED DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENTS IN ATTITUDES TOWARD
THE UNITED STATES.
A DOUBLING OF THE PERCENTAGE OF POSITIVE
FEELINGS TOWARD THE U.S. COMPARED TO SIMILAR SURVEYS DONE
BEFORE THE TSUNAMI.
THE CALL CAME FROM THE PRESIDENT OF CHINA.
PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN ASKED ME TO MEET WITH HIM IN BEIJING.
WHEN I ARRIVED HE SAID, "YOU ARE PROBABLY WONDERING WHY I ASKED
YOU TO BE HERE."
"I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION, AND THE
APPRECIATION OF THE PEOPLE OF CHINA, FOR FOR THE WORK OF THE
FOUNDATION VOLUNTEERS IN THE CREATION OF THE SHANGHAI
CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER."
"IN ADDITION, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING TO MY REQUEST TO
TRAIN MORE THAN 200,000 HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN DIABETES
PREVENTION."
AGAIN IN HUMAN TERMS,
TWO-YEAR-OLD HE JIANG CHENG ARRIVED IN SHANGHAI WITH HIS
MOTHER AFTER A TWO HOUR PLANE RIDE FROM WENZHOU,
A CITY OF 9 MILLION IN ZHEJIANG PROVINCE,
JIANG CHENG WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING
FORM OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE
AND RECEIVED CORRECTIVE HEART SURGERY THE VERY NEXT MORNING.
THIS WAS ONLY POSSIBLE,
ONLY POSSIBLE, BECAUSE
DR. RICHARD JONAS, AN INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN PEDIATRIC
HEART SURGEON,
FORMERLY AT THE BOSTON'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AND
NOW AT THE CHILDREN'S NATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER IN WASHINGTON,
CAME TO SHANGHAI AS A FOUNDATION VOLUNTEER, ONE MONTH A YEAR FOR
TEN YEARS,
TO TRAIN PEDIATRIC SURGEONS IN SHANGHAI TO BECOME
CONGENITAL HEART SURGEONS.
LAST YEAR, THE SURGEONS THAT DR.
JONAS TRAINED PERFORMED OVER 3700 OPEN HEART
SURGURIES ON INFANTS AND CHILDREN AT THE SHANGHAI
CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER,
TWO-THIRDS OF THEM UNDER THREE MONTH OF AGE.
THE CALL CAME FROM THE OFFICE OF THE FIRST LADY, LAURA
BUSH A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE IRAQ INVASION.
SHE AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, CONDOLEEZZA RICE, ASKED
ME TO GO TO BAGHDAD AND BASRA WITH TWO OF THEIR STAFF AND
REPORT BACK ON THE HEALTH OF CHILDREN IN IRAQ.
THE LAST 20 MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT INTO BAGHDAD HAD A
CORKSCREW APPROACH TO AVOID BEING HIT BY A MISSILE.
THE ROAD FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE CITY WAS CALLED SUICIDE ALLEY.
WE FOUND THE PREVALENCE OF CHILDHOOD LEUKEMIA IN BASRA TO
BE TEN TIMES WHAT IT WAS TEN YEARS BEFORE.
NO NEW HOSPITAL HAD BEEN BUILT IN IRAQ IN 29 YEARS,
AND ALL THE COUNTRY'S NURSING SCHOOLS HAD
BEEN CLOSED.
WE WERE THEN ASKED BY MRS. BUSH AND
DR. RICE TO BUILD A STATE-OF-THE-ART CHILDREN'S
CANCER HOSPITAL IN BASRA.
THE BASRA CHILDREN'S CANCER HOSPITAL WAS COMPLETED AND
OPENED SIX YEARS LATER.
ITS FIRST PATIENT, A TINY IRAQI BOY NAMED AMIR, CAME FROM
BAGHDAD.
A CAT SCAN AND BIOPSY CONFIRMED A HIGH RISK CANCER,
NEUROBLASTOMA.
FOLLOWING CHEMOTHERAPY, THE HOSPITALS
SURGEONS, TRAINED BY THE VOLUNTEER PHYSICIANS FROM THE FOUNDATION,
WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE TUMOR.
AFTER ADDITIONAL CHEMOTHERAPY, LITTLE AMIR RETURNED HOME TO BAGHDAD.
A YEAR LATER, HE WAS REPORTED TO BE COMPLETELY WELL.
AND TWO YEARS AFTER THAT, THE GOVERNOR OF BASRA ASKED THE
GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE GRAND AYATOLLAH OF BASRA
TO COME TO WASHINGTON TO SHARE A MESSAGE
WITH ME,
A MESSAGE OF THANKS.
AND ALSO SHARE THE NEWS THAT HE HAD JUST APPROVED A DOUBLING OF
THE SIZE OF THE HOSPITAL.
AND LASTLY, THE CALL CAME FROM MISSISSIPPI SENATOR TRENT LOTT.
HURRICANE KATRINA, THE DEADLIEST U.S. HURRICANE SINCE 1928,
HAD DEVASTATED THE MISSISSIPPI COAST
AND ITS THREE COASTAL COUNTIES,
JACKSON, HARRISON AND HANCOCK.
90 PERCENT OF THE STRUCTURES WITHIN A HALF MILE OF THE
COASTLINE WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
THE NAVY HOSPITAL SHIP COMFORT ARRIVED WITH 75 FOUNDATION
VOLUNTEERS
WHO IDENTIFIED HUNDREDS OF PATIENTS WHOSE LIVES
HAD BEEN THREATENED BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THEIR CLINICS,
PHYSICIAN OFFICES AND PHARMACIES,
AND BROUGHT THEM TO THE SHIP, WHERE THEIR
UNCONTROLLED DIABETES,
HYPERTENSION AND CANCER WERE STABILIZED AND THEIR TREATMENTS
WERE RESTARTED.
GOVERNOR HALEY BARBOUR DROVE FROM JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, THE
CAPITAL OF THE STATE, TO THANK THE VOLUNTEERS UPON THE
REOPENING OF A PRIMARY CARE CLINIC IN JACKSON COUNTY.
THESE ARE BUT A FEW EXAMPLES OF CITIZEN DIPLOMACY AT WORK.
AGAIN DIPLOMACY IN WHICH ORDINARY CITIZENS PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE.
MADE POSSIBLE, IN PART, BY MEDICAL EDUCATION,
AND MEDICAL EDUCATION AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
WHAT BEGAN WITH TRAINING AT THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE LED TO ROLES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN ACADEMIC MEDICINE.
AS A PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE,
THE ACADEMIC DEAN OF A MEDICAL SCHOOL, AND THE PRESIDENT OF A
MAJOR ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER,
FOLLOWED BY THE PRESIDENCY OF A GLOBAL HEALTH FOUNDATION WITH
PEOPLE AND PROGRAMS IN 35 COUNTRIES.
ALL WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT OF
MENTORS.
ARAM CHOBANIAN AND LOUIS SULLIVAN AT THE BOSTON
UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE;
JIM DA LEN AT THE PETER BENT BRIGHAM HOSPITAL,
ROGER HICKLER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL SCHOOL,
ROGER BULGER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
AT HOUSTON,
CHARLIE SANDERS AT GLAXO,
AND SHIRIN TAHIR-KHELI AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
IT WAS ROBERT GOHEEN, THE 16TH PRESIDENT OF PRINCETON,
WHO IN ONE OF HIS LAST BACCALAUREATE ADDRESSES,
SPOKE OF, AND I QUOTE,
"THE IMPORTANCE OF CONJOINING THE LIFE OF THE MIND
WITH MORAL CONCERN."
THIS CONJOINING OF THE LIFE OF THE MIND WITH MORAL CONCERN IS
WHAT LIES AT THE VERY HEART OF CITIZEN DIPLOMACY,
SO SORELY NEEDED IN TODAY'S WORLD.
IT LIES AT THE HEART OF THE THREE SENIOR CLASS LEADERS'
DESCRIPTION OF HOW THEY WILL LEAVE BOSTON UNIVERSITY TODAY AS
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD.
JUST AS ISAAC RICH, FOUNDER OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY, SAILED AWAY
FROM BOSTON AT AGE 14
ON A THREE-MASTED SCHOONER LATER TO
ACHIEVE PROMINENCE IN HIS CHOSEN FIELD OF BUSINESS,
I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE, EVERY
CONFIDENCE THAT THE OUTSTANDING YOUNG WOMEN WITH WHOM I MET,
CLEOPATRA DESSALEGN, ADIA TURNER AND CAROLYN HOFFMAN,
AND THEIR FELLOW 2019 GRADUATES
WILL SAIL AWAY FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY
LATER TODAY TO MAKE A GREAT DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD WITH THE
BEST OF MENTORS AND THE BEST OF NETWORKS.
SO WITH RESPECT AND ADMIRATION, I CLOSE BY SAYING TO THEM,
BON VOYAGE,
AND IN THIS HALLOWED SPACE, GODSPEED.
THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE ]