In keeping with the UD tradition of inviting a distinguished alumnus or alumna to speak at Winter Commencement, Leonard P. Stark, a 1991 UD graduate and Rhodes Scholar who is now employed as a litigation associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Wilmington, Del., delivered the Commencement address.

Stark, who noted that the topics chosen by Commencement speakers are rarely remembered, said that he would ask the graduates "not to forget something you already know."

"That something is Delaware. Don't forget Delaware, and the good thing we've got going here.

"The opportunities available to a freshly minted University of Delaware graduate are practically unlimited. And, wherever you take your degree, you're very likely to find other UD alums there as well. But, wherever you go–my message is the same: Don't forget Delaware, and don't forget to recognize and cherish the charms of this state.

"What's so special about Delaware (I mean, aside from this first-rate University)? A very small list would include, in no particular order: our strong economy; our beautiful towns and cities; our world-class beaches and museums; and the fact that, if all of this isn't enough for you, we are located so conveniently to almost everything else. Delaware is also special because of our diverse population, with a racial, religious and cultural composition reflecting that of the nation as a whole. Of course, we also have no sales tax. In many ways, Delaware is truly a microcosm of the country. We have nearly everything there is to have–and we have it on a manageable, and easily accessible, scale."

Stark said the virtues of Delaware were on his mind because they are so evident as he practices corporate law.

"Today, more than half of the companies listed on the Fortune 500 are Delaware corporations," he said. "As a result, if you want to understand the rights of shareholders, the duties of a board of directors, how a corporation is permitted to respond to a merger proposal and countless other issues relating to how corporations operate in today's world, you need to understand what the legislature and the courts of the state of Delaware have to say about these matters. For this reason, lawyers, law students and judges around the world devote careful study to the corporate law developed right here in Delaware.

"I admit, when I was a student at the University,
I didn't know anything about Delaware's global prominence in the field of corporate law," he said, attributing this lack of awareness to "our tendency to blind ourselves to the good that is around us."

"As a society, and as individuals, we spend much of our time focused on problems, and trying to solve them," he said. "The University has helped train you to identify deficiencies and drawbacks, errors and inefficiencies, and to devise ways to fix, or at least ameliorate, what is wrong. That process, of course, is crucial to the betterment of humankind, and I have no quarrel with it.

"But," he continued, "also crucial to the human experience is to notice what is right. To see the good things in life and to take the time to enjoy them."

Stark told his audience, "It's never too late to reflect on the blessings and beauty that are a part of your everyday life. Today is not too late to recognize who and what you love.

"Thus, of course, it is more than just Delaware that I am encouraging you not to forget. I am also telling you not to forget that you are each unique human beings who deserve to be happy. Do not forget to take time out of your busy lives to figure out what makes you happy, and what would make you happier still, and how to make–or keep–your life what you want it to be. Don't forget to tell those who are fortunate enough to share your lives with you how much they mean to you. Don't forget that there is no rule that says you must wait for tragedy or loss to notice those things and those people who you love. Don't forget that you are entitled to enjoy and cherish who and what you love, now, while you can. Don't forget what it is that makes your life special, unique and fun.

"Cherish what you have, and strive to improve yourself and your world, but don't forget to recognize, and enjoy, what is already good in your life. Hopefully you will count your years here at the University, and your time here in Delaware, among those good things," he concluded.

In 1991, Stark received a bachelor's degree with honors in political science, a bachelor's degree with distinction in economics with a minor in women's studies and a master's degree in European medieval and early modern history.

In his senior year at UD, he became the seventh student to win a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which allowed him to earn his Ph.D. at Oxford University in England.

During the ceremony, the Rev. Jane Nuckols Garrett, a 1957 alumna, was awarded the UD Medal of Distinction, given in recognition of professional achievements or public service of national or international significance.

Garrett, a senior editor at Alfred A. Knopf in New York, has edited six Pultizer Prize-winning books and four Bancroft Award-winners.

Also participating in the ceremony were Christine Kavanagh Miller of Newark, Del., a member of the Class of 1999, who led the singing of the national anthem and the alma mater; and Charlotte W. Brown of West Chester, Pa., a member of the Class of '81, who delivered greetings from the alumni association.