Longtime White House Correspondent Helen
Thomas Offers Advice to Ohio University Graduates
Contact: Leesa Brown, (740) 593-1043
Editors: Photos of speaker Helen Thomas and commencement feature shots can
be downloaded at:
ATHENS, Ohio (June 10, 2000) -- Former White House correspondent Helen Thomas, who has had
a "ringside seat to instant history" during much of her 57 years as a
reporter, challenged Ohio University graduates today to take a leadership
role in the new century.
"There has to be a better way for people to live on this planet, and it's
up to you to find it," said Thomas, the keynote speaker at Ohio
University's undergraduate commencement exercises. "We're still dealing
with age-old conflicts. You are the leaders of tomorrow, and you can start
by not repeating the mistakes of the past."
Ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. drew a total of 3,000 undergraduates
and their guests to the university's 13,000-seat Convocation Center.
Thomas, 79, came to Ohio University just one month after she announced her
resignation as White House bureau chief for United Press International, the
wire service for which she's covered 14 presidential administrations. At
the beginning of her address, she jokingly referred to Ohio University's
graduates as "fellow job-hunters."
Later, Thomas told reporters she is considering offers to cover the 2000
presidential election. She considers the race between Texas Gov. George
Bush and Vice President Al Gore to be a "dead heat." She also plans to
pursue speaking engagements and promote her book "Front Row at the White
House."
Reflecting on her career, Thomas gave graduates advice about the
importance of finding a profession they love.
"If I could wish one thing for you graduates, it would be to find a job
worthy of your time and talent," she said.
Thomas found just that in 1943 when she joined UPI as a writer for the
local radio wire. Her White House stint began in 1960, when she covered
John F. Kennedy's post-election family vacation in Palm Beach, Fla. It was
during the Kennedy administration that Thomas began closing presidential
press conferences with her famous line, "Thank you, Mr. President." Known
by her colleagues as the "dean of the White House correspondents," Thomas
was named UPI's chief White House correspondent in 1970. She became White
House bureau chief in 1974.
She has received more than 20 honorary degrees and a number of journalism
awards, including a prize established in her name by the White House
Correspondents Association. Thomas also has served as a visiting
professional for Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism and is
a past winner of the Carr Van Anda Award, the school's highest honor.
Wrapping up her speech, Thomas offered graduates a mix of her own advice
and popular adages from throughout history, including "To thine own self be
true," "Be outraged at injustice," "Take the road less traveled,"
"Tolerance is not just a word, it's a deed," "Brush your teeth every day,"
"Get a life" and "Thank your parents, teachers and friends for where you
are today."
Earlier in the ceremony, Ohio University Alumni Association Chair William
Burke announced that this year's graduates will be the first recipients of
E-Mail for Life, a free service that allows graduates to use their Ohio
University e-mail address after they leave campus.
As in the past, the university will keep recent graduates' e-mail accounts
active through the end of the calendar year, but this year, the addresses
won't be deleted from the university server in January. Recent graduates
can forward their ohio.edu address to an outside account. As a result,
graduates won't have the hassle of circulating a "change of e-mail address"
message after using the Ohio University address throughout their college
years.
