B U L L E T I N Taft Portrait of a Graduate - The Taft School

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB FALCETTI
Rear Admiral
Richard T. Ginman ’66 P’03
Commencement Speaker
There are three groups of people represented
here today—parents, faculty, and
graduating seniors. I plan to address
each in turn.
To the Parents: We all took a risk
and entrusted our children to the Taft
School. Some of us knew Taft because
we had been here ourselves, some had
entrusted other children to Taft, and for
some this was a first introduction to the
school. For each of us, it was a big step.
I hope each of you feels it was a decision
well made.
I’ve seen the unbelievable endeavors
of your children displayed in the halls and
art studios, in the concerts given on parents’
weekends, in the athletic contests,
in the plays, and in the student’s thoughts
expressed in the Papyrus. With each visit
to Taft, I’ve seen a vibrant community; a
community that your children make possible.
I only wish that all children had
the opportunity that ours have had here.
To the Faculty and Staff: I’ll come
back to the school’s motto, “To serve, not
to be served” later, but it seems so appropriate
to mention it now. Taft is the
faculty and the staff. Each of you, individually
and as a group, serves our
children. You make a difference in their
lives each and every day. You push them
to excel, you praise their successes, and
you’re there to support them in their failures.
You have done this as a team,
working together to make the educational
and personal development of each
student the best it could be.
The tangible part of your performance
is obvious. The facilities of Taft
are impressive. They are a testament to
you and all those who have gone before
you. Because of your collective desire to
excel as teachers, the school has been able
to raise the funds from alumni, parents,
and friends that enable this school to
continue to thrive and be the excellent
institution it is. The intangible part is less
obvious, but even more important. It is
the vibrant, young students with a desire
to excel and to serve others that you have
developed. You need only look at the seniors
assembled in front of you to know
you have excelled in your work.
For the Students: Thirty-six years ago I
sat in Graduation Court—I bet most of
you don’t even know where it is—and listened
to a number of speeches. I’d like to
say I remember every word, but I don’t.
I’ve even given a few and I don’t remember
those either. I do, though, remember Taft
well and I’d like to share with you why.
The faculty of Taft made me work
harder than I had ever worked before.
They challenged me to go beyond what
I thought my limits were. They caused
me to look into academic areas I’d never
considered. They made me question my
Rear Admiral Richard T. Ginman ’66, Commencement
speaker with son Alex ’03
beliefs. They made me express my opinions
and then defend why I thought the
way I did. They took an interest in me
and worked hard at finding ways to make
me excited about the work.
“To serve, not to be served.” I suspect
few of you graduating seniors know
what you’d like to do in life, and I can’t
help with you with that decision (unless
you’d like to consider military service after
college, an option I’d encourage you
to consider). I can tell you that you won’t
find long-term satisfaction in your own
achievements; you will find satisfaction
in the journey that brings you to those
achievements. I’m also certain your
achievements will be made possible because
of the efforts of others. Focusing
on their needs and helping them achieve
their goals will not only allow you to
achieve your objectives, but will bring
you great pleasure in seeing them achieve
their goals and the organizations that you
are a part of achieve theirs. Seniors, in a
long Navy tradition, I wish you Fair
Winds and Following Seas.
Journey
Remarks from the 113th Commencement, 2003
in the
Taft Bulletin Summer 2003
23