[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[May 17, 1992]
[Pages 785-788]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at the University of Notre Dame Commencement Ceremony in South 
Bend, Indiana

May 17, 1992
    Thank you, Father Malloy. It is really wonderful to be back here at 
Notre Dame. Whenever I visit the campus or meet a group of Notre Dame 
alumni, I feel this sense of family, and at Notre Dame that truly means 
more than just words. I think it's at the very core of what this 
institution is all about. And with this honorary degree that I am so 
very proud to have, I am proud to become a Domer. Thank you for the 
honor. Thank you for the privilege.
    I want to salute all of the honorary degree recipients. A pleasure 
to be among such distinguished educators and public servants. I want to 
single out again Father Malloy, whose graciousness means a lot to me. A 
special greeting to the man we all respect so much, Chile's President 
Aylwin, who has done so much for democracy not just in Chile but in our 
whole hemisphere. We're grateful to you, sir. And another old friend I'm 
proud to share this dais with. He doesn't vote with me much. I don't 
vote with him much. But we're good friends and have been for a long 
time, and I respect him, Pat Moynihan. Pat, glad to be with you. May I 
pay my respects to the outstanding faculty of Notre Dame. They put up 
with a lot and have done a great job, I'll tell you. To our 
distinguished provost, don't worry, sir, there's a provost opening in a 
junior college just outside of Nome, Alaska. And I'm sure you'll 
qualify. [Laughter] But thank you for your warm introduction to me, 
thank you.
    Now to the graduates. For you graduates, these have been 4 long 
years. But I first want to say, I want to congratulate--I don't know 
where they are, but the class of 1992. And I want to pay a special 
tribute to the family, to the parents, the family members, and the 
friends. At today's ceremony are a group of second generation Domers; 25 
percent of the graduating seniors have a

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parent who attended Notre Dame. For you graduates, these have been 4 
long, tough years. Now comes the hardest part, sitting through the 
commencement speech. [Laughter] But Billy Graham put it very well when 
he told, after a speaker had gone on a long time, a man sitting over 
here where Pat is picked up the gavel, heaved it at the guy that was 
speaking, missed him, clipped a lady in the front row who said, ``Hit me 
again. I can still hear him.'' [Laughter]
    Let me first say I'm not here in the mode of politics. I'm here to 
tell you the values that I strongly believe in. Those values can be 
summarized by the three major legacies that I certainly want to leave 
behind for my grandchildren, hopefully, for yours: jobs, both for 
today's workers who are actively seeking work and for graduates entering 
the work force; strong families, to sustain us as individuals, to 
nurture and encourage our children, and to preserve our Nation's 
character and culture; and peace, peace around the world, on our 
streets, and in our schools as well.
    Yesterday I spoke down at Southern Methodist where I focused on the 
economy and ability to generate jobs. Next week it will be the Naval 
Academy, when I focus on our hope for a more peaceful world.
    Freedom has swept around the world--you heard Chile's President 
paying homage to that--from the snows of Siberia to the sands of the 
Gulf. Because we and our allies stood strong and principled, our 
children and our grandchildren now sleep in a world less threatened by 
nuclear war. That is dramatic change, and it's something good that we 
can take great pride in.
    Now we must concentrate on change here in America as well, in ways 
no less dramatic or important. We're taking a fresh look at Government 
and how we solve national problems. In Lincoln's words, we must think 
anew, act anew.
    Preparing young men and women for lives of leadership, service, and 
meaning: Each is part of this fantastic Notre Dame tradition, a 
tradition that has generated a host of inspiring stories. I was 
particularly moved when I heard about Frank O'Malley's role in saving 
the bricks of your administration building. Most of you know the story. 
The masonry was deteriorating, and some thought the time had come to 
replace it. Instead, Professor O'Malley reminded all who would listen, 
``These bricks contain the blood of everyone who helped to build Notre 
Dame.''
    Today, that 150-year heritage is fully yours, too. But your 
preparation began long before you walked in the shadow of the dome. Your 
parents instilled in you character and a moral bearing. They sacrificed 
so that you could experience the Notre Dame education, an education 
that's rooted in timeless faith and in a tradition of excellence, and in 
the process inculcating into each of you the worth of serving others. I 
hope each of you has also made a commitment to helping others and 
attacking some of the major problems facing American society; become a 
mentor, a community organizer, a Point of Light.
    At the heart of the problems facing our country stands an 
institution under siege. That institution is the American family. 
Whatever form our most pressing problems may take, ultimately, all are 
related to the disintegration of the family.
    Let us look objectively at a few brief and sad facts. In comparison 
with other countries, the Census Bureau found that the United States has 
the highest divorce rate, the highest number of children involved in 
divorce, the highest teenage pregnancy rates, the highest abortion 
rates, the highest percentage of children living in a single-parent 
household, and the highest percentage of violent deaths among our 
precious young. These are not the kind of records that we want to have 
as a great country.
    In Philadelphia the other day, in the inner city in what they call 
the Hill area, I talked to a barber there, Mr. Buice, who is one of the 
leaders of the community there. I said, ``Do these kids come from broken 
families?'' He said, ``Sir, it's a question of babies having babies,'' 
tears coming into his eyes. We've got to do something about this. And 
unless we successfully reverse the breakdown of the American family, our 
Nation is going to remain at risk.
    Senator Moynihan, way back, way back, early in 1965, you gave us 
fair warning. You predicted with astonishing accuracy the ter-

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rible trends that would result from the breakdown of the family. And 
today, with respect, sir, you continue to sound the alarm. The Senator 
and I agree: If America is to solve her social problems, we must, first 
of all, restore our families.
    In addressing the problems associated with family breakdown, nothing 
is more critical than equipping each succeeding generation with a sound 
moral compass. As Notre Dame has expanded it has never lost sight of its 
profound spiritual mission. Indeed, this institution takes seriously its 
role in building the character of our young people and the strength of 
our families, for those are the leading indicators of our future as a 
culture. When we instill faith in our youth, faith in themselves, faith 
in God, we give them a solid foundation on which to build their future.
    As Pope John XXIII said, ``The family is the first essential cell of 
human society.'' The family is the primary and most critical institution 
in America's communities.
    In January--I'll never forget this meeting--I met with some mayors 
from America's League of Cities, including Mayor Tom Bradley of Los 
Angeles. They came together, smalltown Republican mayor from North 
Carolina, middle-size city mayors, large-city mayors, and they told me 
of their concerns for their cities, their municipalities. But most of 
all, the mayors came together on one key point, and they were unanimous: 
Their major concern about the problems in the cities, in their view, the 
people on the front line, was the decline in the American family. One 
result of that meeting is this Commission on America's Urban Families. 
And I hope it comes up with some good, positive, constructive answers.
    It is clear that we all know that putting America's families back on 
track is essential to putting our country back on track. You may ask how 
we can proceed when we don't all agree on the causes of the problem or 
the remedies. I believe that one place to begin is by supporting Pope 
John Paul II's most recent encyclical calling for a new social climate 
of moral accountability in which to raise our children. Leadership in 
that task can and should be led by the Nation's churches; kids need to 
learn faith to help them understand the larger family. And we are one 
Nation under God. We must remember that, and we must teach that.
    Starting today, as you go from this fine institution to face the 
challenges of your adult life, the decisions you make will have one of 
two effects: Either you will add to the problems of family breakdown, or 
you will help rebuild the American family. You see, I am absolutely 
convinced that today's crisis will have to be addressed by millions of 
Americans at the personal, individual level for governmental programs to 
be effective. The Federal Government, of course, must do everything it 
can do, but the point is Government alone is simply not enough.
    In my view, Government can, and we must, provide parental choice of 
the best schools for our children, whether public, private, or 
religious. The GI bill says here's some money; go to the college of your 
choice. Choice should apply to all levels of education. Parents must 
read to their children and instill a love of learning. Government can, 
and we must, fight crime. But fathers and mothers must teach discipline 
and instill those values in their children. Government can, and we must, 
foster American competitiveness. But parents must teach their children 
the dignity of work and instill a work ethic in the kids.
    And to paraphrase that fantastic philosopher, Barbara Bush--
[laughter]--what you teach at your house is more important than what 
happens at the White House. And she is absolutely correct on that.
    All of us realize that merely knowing what's right is not enough. We 
must then do what's right. Today I'm asking you to carefully consider 
the personal decisions that you'll make about marriage and about how you 
will raise your children. Ultimately, your decisions about right and 
wrong, about loyalty and integrity, and yes, even self-sacrifice, will 
determine the quality of all the other decisions that you'll make. And 
as you think about these decisions, remember: It is in families that 
children learn the keys to personal economic success and self-discipline 
and personal responsibility. It is in families that children learn that 
moral

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restraint gives us true freedom. It is from their families that they 
learn honesty and self-respect and compassion and self-confidence.
    And you would do well to consider the simple but profound words of 
Notre Dame's own Father Hesburgh when he said, ``The most important 
thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.'' Think 
how this vitally important commitment from fathers to mothers would 
radically transform for the better both the lives of thousands of our 
Nation's hurting children and their struggling mothers as well.
    In many respects, I feel here at Notre Dame that I'm preaching to 
the choir because here at Notre Dame, you have benefited from the 
legions of great men and women of conviction and faith. Here, there is a 
tradition of passion for addressing the staggering needs of the day. 
Notre Dame's Alumni Association is the prototype for other universities 
in sponsoring service projects and working toward the restoration of 
faith and the family in America.
    In fact, at this very moment, the Notre Dame alumni group out there 
in Los Angeles is in the midst of a massive food and distribution 
project to assist residents affected by the violence in south central 
L.A. When that food is distributed and the riot-torn areas are rebuilt, 
I hope that the alumni group and thousands of others who are helping 
will stay involved in this and other urban areas. Government alone 
cannot do what needs to be done by itself. People who care must help.
    And since becoming President I have had an opportunity to see a 
groundswell of Americans who are working, and working hard, to restore 
our Nation's faith and heal the wounds that have undermined our Nation's 
families. These Americans are devoted to rebuilding, restoring America 
from the ground up, family by family, home by home, community by 
community.
    I was impressed to learn that more than two-thirds of Notre Dame's 
students participate in community service, two-thirds, ranging from 
working with the handicapped children at Logan Center to assisting 
former prisoners at Dismas House. Fully 10 percent of your graduates 
plan to go into social service careers. And to paraphrase Pope John Paul 
II, the ultimate test of your greatness is the way you treat every human 
being, but especially the weakest and the most defenseless ones.
    Let me challenge all of you to find a place to serve in some 
capacity, definitely as models but also as mentors. Remember each of us 
has a contribution that only we can make. And let me remind you as you 
assume the mantles of tomorrow's leadership that children tend to shape 
their dreams in the images that they have seen. Show how a good 
education prepares one for a full, productive life. Show what it means 
to be a person of strong principle and integrity. Demonstrate how 
concerned individuals, by working in partnership, can transform our 
communities and Nation.
    Lastly, in a society that can sometimes be cold and impersonal, 
bring warmth and welcome. In a fragmented society, be a force for 
healing. In a society cut off from moral and spiritual roots, cultivate 
grace and truth. In the face of the uncertainties of the future, affirm 
your purpose and realize your promise. Together, we can lift our 
Nation's spirit. Together we can give our material, political, and 
economic accomplishments a larger, more noble purpose, to build God's 
kingdom here on Earth.
    There is no surer way to build our Nation's future than with the 
mortar and the bricks of moral values and strong families. If you will 
add your blood to the bricks, the future will echo, then as now, ``Never 
bet against Notre Dame or against the United States of America.''
    Thank you all, and good luck to this class of 1992 and to the entire 
Notre Dame family. And may God Bless our great country. Thank you very 
much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 3:03 p.m. in the Joyce 
                        Athletic and Convocation Center. In his remarks, 
                        he referred to University of Notre Dame 
                        officials Edward A. Malloy, president; Timothy 
                        O'Meara, provost; Theodore M. Hesburgh, former 
                        president; and Frank O'Malley, former professor 
                        of English. A tape was not available for 
                        verification of the content of these remarks.