Contact: Sammy McDavid
In return for delivering the shortest known commencement speech Friday [Dec. 17] in Mississippi State's 121-year history, university historian John F. Marszalek asked only three things of fall semester graduates.
"In the world outside this campus," the William L. Giles Distinguished Professor of History told his audience during the morning program, "you must do what you've done while here.
"Learn. Learn. Learn.
"Continue to realize that the more knowledge you gain, the more you will discover how little you really know and how much more there is to learn," he said. "College does not give you the answers. Actually, it provides you with more questions, but we, the faculty, also have tried to provide you with the tools to try to answer those questions."
The author or editor of 10 books, Marszalek is a specialist on the American Civil War, Andrew Jackson's presidency and United States race relations. In addition to lecturing widely, he has appeared on numerous national television news and public affairs programs.
In delivering the last commencement address before 2000, Marszalek broke a graduation record previously held by author and Mississippi State alumnus John Grisham. The 26-year MSU faculty veteran received the applause of more than 5,000 in attendance when he concluded his part on the program in seven minutes-a minute shorter than Grisham's speech in May of 1992.
Some 1,230 Mississippi State students were candidates for fall semester degrees. Among them were three seniors with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages: Brady A. Bagwell of Clinton, Deborah K. Purvis and Ranil N. Wijeratne of Starkville.
Established by the Legislature in 1878, the university held its first classes in 1880 and awarded its first degrees to eight students in 1883.