Vol. 18, No. 34	June 10, 1999

FBI director focuses talk on importance of character

The character and bravery of the soldiers who fought at D-Day some 55 years ago were recalled by FBI Director Louis J. Freeh as spoke at Commencement May 29 in Delaware Stadium.

Speaking under a clear, sunny sky to a crowd of 25,000-plus graduates, family members and friends, Freeh said, "You bring to this graduation the hopes, the prayers, the aspirations, not just of your family, but of your country and all of the people who will depend on you so much."

Freeh said that, on a recent trip to Europe, he visited the beaches of Normandy, site of the turning point of World War II and "perhaps one of the most memorable occasions of the century.

"My father, along with many, many other Americans-average age 19 to 22-landed on those beaches, 6:30 a.m. on June 6, 1944," he said. Standing at the French cemetery where almost 10,000 Americans are buried, and looking down to what was known as Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, Freeh said he thought of the sacrifices and the character of the soldiers.

One of the things that turned the tide of battle that morning was the independent action of the young soldiers themselves. "Small groups of soldiers-19, 20, 21 years old-without leaders, in many cases without sergeants, organized themselves and started to work their way up the very, very difficult and devastating line of fire to take the heights right above the beach," Freeh said. "And, that's what turned the day."

No matter how one defines character, Freeh said, "What's important, I think, to think about today is the sacrifices that those men and many, many women over the years have given to our country and how essential character, integrity and sacrifice have been."

In surveys of American high schools, ethics and character have been rated as very important, with the majority of young people listing them as the single most important issues that will challenge them in their jobs and their families, Freeh said. At the same time, concerns about character, honesty and integrity are on the increase.

"We have spent a lot of time in the FBI trying to focus on these basic, core values.... All of our employees who work in your service, are constantly reminding themselves about the relevance of integrity, honesty, fairness, compassion, respect for human dignity. Without those components, neither the law enforcement services of our country nor the country itself, whether in its corporate or family components, will be able to be successful," he said.

But, these core values aren't learned at the FBI Academy or at UD, he said. "Sociologists tell us we learn these values when we're about 2 to 3 years old from our parents, which is why we say a special thank you to the parents today.

"Those values ... have great currency and great relevance to you on this special day. Tell the truth. Be kind to others. Respect people. Be fair. Feel sorry for people. Don't take other people's property. We call these things by much more impressive and much more complex denominations, but they are the basic values relevant to character, relevant to integrity and relevant to your success," Freeh said.

He told the new graduates they have a required role to play in public service, which "doesn't mean being in the FBI," as, he said, are 67 UD alumni. "What it means is displaying those strong qualities of citizenship, patriotism, character [and] honesty, and passing on and propagating those values to your families and your communities.

"All of you have wonderful roads ahead of you; you've traveled a splendid road to get here today. Please, as you do that, as you begin your careers and the excitements of your lives, keep in mind those basic core values, which will guide you well, which have guided you well to this day and which will keep our country strong and free in the years to come," Freeh said.

Freeh was honored earlier in the ceremony with an honorary doctor of laws degree. Charles M. Cawley, a member of the University's Board of Trustees, read the citation honoring Freeh for his public service, his work as a federal prosecutor, his belief in equity and justice and his commitment to his family, noting that "few if any men among us are more noble."

The ceremony opened with the procession of alumni delegates, with alumni from the classes of the 1930s through 1998, representing the more than 100,000 living alumni of the University in 76 countries throughout the world. In addition, several members of the Class of 1949 marched with the group, celebrating 50 years as alumni.

Also at the ceremony, five students were recognized by Delaware Gov. Thomas R. Carper for achieving the highest cumulative grade index in full-time study for a baccalaureate degree at the University.

Honored were

• Farah Haq, daughter of Tanweer and Taraha Haq of Syracuse, N.Y., a Du Pont Scholar, who majored in marketing and minors in biology and management information systems;

• Mark Christopher Messina, son of Alfred and Angelina Messina of Wilmington, who received a degree in business administration, with minors in finance, management information systems and economics;

• Walt Roshon of Smyrna, son of Marlene Roshon and husband of Kate Roshon, who received a degree in engineering technology, with a concentration in technical applications;

• Tamala Marie Stigile, daughter of Tom and Elaine Stigile of Wilmington, who was awarded a degree in family and community services and has received a full fellowship to pursue her master's degree at Florida State University; and

• Elizabeth Kristine "Betsy" Turner, daughter of David Turner of Reading, Pa., and Gail and Frank Corvaia of Birdsboro, Pa., who received a degree in psychology, with a minor in Spanish.

"This year, our class embarked upon a fund-raising campaign so unique that it has set a precedent for every graduating class to come," Weller said.

Every senior was contacted by a fellow classmate and asked for a donation, she said.

Students also were asked what they would like their donation to benefit.

Contributions have been designated for the library, computing sites, fitness centers, dining hall, the Carpenter Sports Building, the Trabant University Center and the Perkins Student Center, as well as numerous academic departments, she said.

"We have truly left a great legacy for future classes to come to ensure that not only their education, but also some of the most important research and study centers around the campus, will continue to be the best, just as they were for us here at the University of Delaware," Weller said.

In accepting the gift, Roselle said, "Your gift is a validation of your experience at the University of Delaware, and it ranks in character and appreciation among the most welcomed gifts that we have received in the last several years."

-John Brennan