President Marty Meehan Inaugural Address November 12, 2015 I am pleased to / be / formally accepting the presidency of the University of Massachusetts / here at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute / on the campus of UMass Boston. This location is particularly special to me: / because of Senator Kennedy's work in many areas, including education... because of what he meant to me personally... and because of what this peninsula represents in symbolic and in very tangible terms. I was at Madison Square Garden 35 years ago as a Kennedy delegate / when Senator Kennedy, in a rare moment of political defeat, / electrified the nation and fired our hearts and minds when he concludes: "the work goes on, / the cause endures, / the hope still lives, / and the dream shall never die." That night in New York, / Senator Kennedy was speaking of the causes and dreams of the American people and his fallen brothers - two men who also inspired me... and inspired many of you gathered here today, / and it's fitting that we remember those dreams in this replica / of the chamber Ted loved so much. So, as I accept this position, I think of the dreams of President Kennedy, Robert and Edward Kennedy... and I think of other dreams as well. I think of the dreams of two great Republican leaders... Congressman and later Senator Justin Morrill from Vermont and Abraham Lincoln... who created our Land Grant university system in 1862... and in doing so, / gave life to one of our / truly great national inventions. I think of the dreams of school kids / living not far from here in Dorchester... the dreams of immigrants newly arrived in Lowell and Lawrence... and of the single mother in Springfield / who wants a better life for her children. I think of Dr. Martin Luther King and of my friend John Lewis -- and of / their / dreams / of a just and fair America. I think of the dreams of people like Professor / Wilmore / Webley, who appears in the video you just saw. He was born in rural Jamaica. His parents were farmers / who couldn't read or write... but they were so intent on creating a better future for their son
/ that they endured immense financial hardships to help him obtain the education that led to the Fulbright scholarship / that brought him to UMass Amherst for graduate study. And today / Professor Webley is a beloved teacher, / a distinguished researcher, / and is the Director / of UMass Amherst's Pre-Med Advising program. I think of Jacob Miller, our UMass Dartmouth student trustee and Truman Scholar, / who after his freshman year played a leading role / in fixing / a / flaw in the state's health care law / that forced a number of college students to choose between healthinsurance coverage and remaining in school. I think of UMass Medical School students / whose sense of service compels them to volunteer in food pantries in Worcester and combat blindness in Ghana, / western Africa. Of UMass Boston, New England's only majority-minority university, / launching more than 30 technology and life science startup companies / from its Venture Development Center. And I think of David Tetreault, / a young veteran from UMass Lowell, / who is using his expertise to create a web platform / that will help other veterans locate the services they need and deserve. I think of an America / where everyone has the opportunity to hone his or her talents, and to succeed -- in any endeavor. Where everyone has a seat at the table... and a chance to stand... and soar. I also think of the dream that my parents had / for seven kids living in a small house in a hard-edged section of Lowell... and of the public university... the University of Massachusetts... that breathed life / into those dreams. My parents didn't have the opportunity to go to college. My father worked as a newspaper compositor / and supplemented what he earned at The Lowell Sun by working as a guard / at / the county jail. And although work consumed many hours of his week, my father, Martin "Buster" Meehan, was an avid reader / and surrounded himself with hundreds of books. And my mother, / Alice "Sissy" Meehan, / was very focused on raising seven children / and instilled a love for learning / in / all / of / us. My father said that education was a powerful force that would change our lives... that would give us richer, fuller and more meaningful lives.
And though no one in the family had ever graduated from college... the fact that we would go to college / and earn degrees was a given. It was understood. Because of UMass. So throughout my life... as an education-and-political-science major at UMass Lowell, as a student-teacher at Lowell High School, in Congress, as Chancellor at UMass Lowell, / in other positions in public service, / and now as I take on the presidency of the University of Massachusetts, / I see myself as carrying the torch that my parents lit. It is a torch I hold proudly. I hold it knowing how hard they worked to create a better future for their children and grandchildren. And remembering the great joy my parents experienced / when those better futures / arrived. It is a torch / I / will / always / hold high. I believe this is a particularly fitting location / from which to launch this journey. Here on Columbia Point, / you can watch the sun rise over Dorchester Bay and feel the promise of a new day. On this peninsula, you can see the arc / of / a / dream: the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, the John F. Kennedy Library and the University of Massachusetts. You see the fruits of dreams already dreamt... and can witness dreams / being / born. It is my firm belief that the University of Massachusetts is the most important institution in Massachusetts / in the critical areas of social mobility and economic growth. And, I believe the numbers support that assertion, / as the five campuses of the University of Massachusetts educate 73,000 students a year / and award 17,000 degrees annually. In addition to awarding a large number of degrees, / we also produce graduates in areas of critical importance to Massachusetts and its future, ranking either first / or / second / in the number of degrees awarded in engineering... computer science... business management... the health professions... the physical sciences
...mathematics and statistics, education, and biological and biomedical sciences. We are the academic institution that shapes our workforce... that conducts the research that fuels the state's innovation economy... and we do this at five campuses and in more than 75 academic, / research, and outreach centers. We are the future of Massachusetts. And we have reached this position of achievement and international acclaim / as a result of the hard work of many people, / but this afternoon I would like to recognize the leadership of three of my predecessors: President Sherry Penney, who in addition to serving as President also led UMass Boston / with distinction / for 12 years President Jack Wilson, / whose many achievements include being the founding CEO of UMassOnline, / championing research and development, and... Jack had great judgement... after all - he chose me to be Chancellor of UMass Lowell. And a former President / who was a pioneer in stressing the importance of excellence... and who set us on the road of modernizing fundraising and rebuilding our campuses. He told Massachusetts that it had a public research university that it should be proud of. This President has never gotten the credit he deserves and today, I salute him and ask you to join me in welcoming... President William M. Bulger. While we will continue to offer our students a traditional academic experience, / our role as the state's public research university compels us / to be nimble / and to offer our citizens and our business community / educational programs that people and the economy require. And in doing so, we are being consistent with our Land Grant roots and purpose. It's what we mean when we say that UMass is... Here For a Reason. So, / to that end, / we are working with Governor Baker and our other state leaders to enhance our online programs, / develop 2+2 programs, and to move more students, / particularly students from under-represented communities, / into the STEM pipeline. We are always focused on affordability... but working with the Governor and the Legislature... with UMassOnline and our Community College partners... we are committed to providing the citizens of the Commonwealth with a path to a $30 to $35,000 UMass degree. Governor Baker talked during his campaign about a three-year degree and we are embracing that. These may not be paths every student will choose
to take. Many students and families will still / opt / for a traditional, / campus-based educational experience. But these new paths will be right for some students -- and so they should be made available / to all students. While options are a good thing in our ever-changing world, / whatever we do -- in the area of educational programs, / in research, in public service, / must always be built on a foundation of excellence, as excellence is / why / our students and faculty are now winning prestigious awards, / why enrollment is soaring / and why UMass was just named one of the "Most Innovative Universities in the World." And given our focus on affordability, / I am so pleased that this Inauguration has generated a record $1.6 million for scholarships / that will benefit students throughout the UMass system. Thank you to so many of you here today who contributed to this effort. In supporting this Inauguration, you are giving the gift of opportunity... and transformation. ### I began this week by spending a day visiting each of our campuses, and was inspired... as I constantly am... by our students, / faculty, / and staff. And I thank the UMass community for achieving at the highest levels... and for the warm reception I received at each stop. In accepting this office, / I vow to our students, faculty, and everyone at the University of Massachusetts, that I will passionately fight for you. I also thank Chairman Victor Woolridge, Secretary Jim Peyser and the members of the Board of Trustees for the confidence / you / have placed in me. The journey from UMass student / to UMass president / is one I couldn't have imagined when I first set foot on the Lowell campus... but as we know, / this University truly transforms lives. But, / you do me a great honor. I thank our Chancellors for their daily encouragement and support. And I thank Governor Baker and the Legislature. Your support means a great deal to me... and to UMass. Let's carry this torch, and fight this fight together, it's a cause worth fighting for.
Thank you very much.