[applause and laughter]
Thank you, Dean Bursten, and thank you, Ms. Parton.
Throughout her career, Dolly Parton has worked tirelessly to enhance educational opportunities
for students from her hometown, and throughout the nation, and the world.
In 1988, she started Dollywood Foundation
to provide literacy, and to provide educational opportunity to students.
In 1992 and 1993, her first major initiative "The Buddy Program"
helped reduce high school dropouts in Sevier County.
She asked each student in 2 middle schools to select a buddy to keep them accountable.
If they graduated from high school, she promised to personally
"personally" hand them a $500 check with no strings attached.
As they accepted their diploma a few years later, she kept her word, and the students made a commitment
and the dropout rate decreased from 30% to 6%.
[applause]
In 1996, the Dollywood Foundation launched its signature program.
The Imagination Library provides children with a free book each month from birth until age 5
and aims to develop a love of reading, and books, in children
and to encourage parents to read to their children.
This program has grown rapidly since its inception, to include communities in 46 states
almost every Canadian province, and the United Kingdom.
[applause]
Working with local partners, the Imagination Library provides books to more than 500,000 children each month
and has distributed over 20 million books in total.
In 2004, Governor Bredesen announced matching funds in Tennessee
for communities sponsoring the program.
The Imagination Library in partnership with the Governor's Books for Birth Foundation
is now available in all Tennessee counties
making ours the only state in the nation to provide every child the opportunity to enroll in this program.
[applause]
In march, Rotary International joined forces with Imagination Library
by adopting this program to combat illiteracy worldwide.
Beyond her philanthropic work, Dolly Parton has served as a cultural ambassador for this region of this state
and the state of Tennessee, throughout the world.
She has earned awards, and acclaim, that places her among the most honored
musicians and entertainers for the past century.
Because of her career as a musician, and as an entertainer,
and for her role as a cultural ambassador, philanthropist,
and lifelong advocate of education, it is fitting that she be honored
with the honorary degree from the flagship educational institution in her home state.
Dolly Parton is uniquely and distinguishedly qualified to receive the highest honor
that we as a university can bestow upon a member of the public.
Governor Bredesen, President Simek, it is my honor to present to you Dolly Parton
for the degree Doctor of Humane and Musical Letters. [applause]