150+ Graduates in Motlow's Second Graduation

150+ Graduates in Motlow's Second Graduation

Newspaper account of Motlow's second graduation, where over 150 students earned their Associate Degrees and Education Commissioner, E.C. Stimbert addressed the graduates.
Newspaper Images display Commissioner Stimbert on the stage addressing the crowd and State Representative J. Stanley Rogers introducing his family to the Commissioner

Steve Graham

June 7, 1972

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English

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Motlow College’s 1972 graduates should face a future rapid change by developing a proper sense of values.
The graduating class heard this message last Friday from State Education Commissioner E. C. Stimbert, speaker for this year’s commencement exercises.
More than 150 members of the class received associate of arts and associate of science degrees at the graduation ceremonies, held at the fieldhouse on the Motlow College faculty.
It was the second annual commencement for the community college. Dr. Sam H. Ingram, president, noted that this year’s class is about 60 students than the first which graduated last year.
The occasion also marked the first visit to the campus for commisiondr Stimbert, former Memphis city school superintendent who was named to his post last year by Gov. Winfield Dunn. The commissioner also spoke at commencement Saturday morning at Jackson State Community College in West Tennessee.
Commissioner Stimbert suggested that graduates face the future in three ways- building the right amount of change into their lives, learning to evaluate change in public and private life, and using similar balance in their own actions.
One of the best ways for coping with change, he said, is to know the past, a knowledge, the commissioner said, which has been largely unappreciated in recent years.
Commenting on a current tendency among young people to ignore history, he said: “I am well aware some friends of your friends have tried to do to the past ,but it’s coming back.”
The commissioner cited Alvin Toffler’s view in the current book, “Future Shock,” as saying virtually the most important thing which can be done for students is to condition them how to cope with change.
Calls for ‘Serenity’
“You need to achieve a sense of serenity in the midst of turmoil,” he said “You should find ways to make the right amount of change in your life.”
He warned against continuing what he called a trend toward attacking problems on an emotional basis.
“I’m a little sick and tired of the emotional way as the approach to some of our deep-seated problems,” he said. “You can have emotional feelings about your family, your religion and patriotism- that’s fine. But some of our basic social problems are different- they’re not going to be solved by an emotional binge.”
The evaluation of change and other factors he described as knowing “when to say no and when to say yes.”
Looking back over a 10-year period of economic boom, achievements in space, racial troubles and international stress, Commissioner Stimbert said balanced judgement will be especially important during the coming years.
“We’ve had a pretty fast decade in the Sixties,” he said. “I think we are going to have to redress the balance in the 1970’s.”
Commissioner Stimbert said a decline in American workmanship- which forces the recall of many industrial products-is symptomatic of the mixed-up sense of values that exists in the nation today.
Warns on Attitude
But he warned the graduation that people in any vacation- not just assembly-line workers- can fall prey to a don’t-care attitude.
“What kind of contribution will yours be?” he asked. “Will more patients die, more people commit suicide, for example, because of the attitude you have in whatever vocation you enter?”
Balanced individual action, he said, demands that a Motlow College graduate, like others will decide that they will do something with their education and not let it become a wasted resource.
Earlier he had called this sort of self-initiative “the graduation speech you make to yourself.”
Commissioner Stimbert quoted the American educational way to go in realizing an individual’s educational potential. The situation remains the same now, he said.
The commissioner was introduced by Dr. Sam H. Ingram, president of Motlow, who also conferred degrees on the graduates.
Other participants in the ceremony were Dr. Don England, dean of instruction; Dr. Joe B. Johnson, dean of students, the Rev. Tom Madden, Pastor of First Baptist Church, who gave the invocation; and Mrs. J. Don Gray, pianist for the processions and recessional.
Music was provided by the Motlow Chorus, directed by Orvil Moffitt, assistant professor of music.
Special guests introduced were State Sen. Reagor Motlow of Lynchburg and State Rep. and Mrs. Stanley Rogers of Manchester.

Goals for the Future- State Education Commissioner E. C. Stimbert, standing behind the platform, tells members of the Motlow College graduating class to adopt a balanced system of values for their future lives. Others on the platform, seated from left, are Dr. Joe B. Johnson, dean of students; The Rev. Tom Madden, who delivered the invocation; Dr. Don C. England, dean of instruction; and Dr. Sam H. Ingram, college president.
Legislator on Hand- State Rep J. Stanley Rogers of Manchester introduces his wife and son to Education Commissioner E.C. Stimbert after graduation exercises at Motlow College. With Rep. Rogers are Mrs. Rogers and their five-year old son, Stan.
-Photos by Steve Graham.