Baccalaureate Launches Graduation

Before 550 sweltering, fan waving undergraduates and their families, President Conant, in the traditional Baccalaureate Sermon counseled the Class of 1949 that the individual today has a greater chance of making his ideas and influence felt than ever before. His talk, given on Sunday afternoon in Memorial Church, marked the opening event of the two hundred and ninety-eighth commencement week.

Conant set forth as his thesis, "What can I, as a single individual, do to assist in times like these?" He contended that although the new graduate must be aware of global problems, with great sympathy for the issues which confront peoples of other countries, his first duty is "to make of the United States an improved United States."

To accomplish this, Conant said, "first of all the citizen must become a real enthusiast about our great democratic experiment; he must be eager to forward those ideals which are the premises of the experiment itself. Secondly, he must work at the task of making his belief manifest almost daily in the course of his regular life. . . .

"There is far more involved here than being a well informed voter," President Conant continued, "more even than taking part in local politics or in the work of philanthropic organizations,--excellent and important as such activities may be.

"What is involved," said the University head, "is an attitude, a state of mind, which influences a man's whole character and guides his reactions to-ward both persons and problems. Two manifestations of this attitude will be a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm conviction that the golden age lies ahead of us, not behind us.

Re-examine Values

"Above all," Conant cautioned the prospective graduates, "there must be a determination to re-examine continuously the premises of one's own stand on many issues:--the courage to raise such questions with oneself as: Am I doing this or advocating that because I am really convinced that it will forward American democracy, or am I merely wrapping some fine phrases around a project which is closely connected with my own pet ideas or personal fortune?

"In short," summarized President Conant at the end of his sermon, "an effective citizen of this nation must today be a critical yet vigorous proponent of democracy. Indeed, one might say that to the degree that he is a living embodiment of the ideals of our free society, he is through his daily life making a significant contribution to the momentous history of our times. To the extent that he believes in democracy, he can certainly make it better, and in so doing assist in bringing peace and stability to an uncertain world."

Sperry Leads Service

Dean Sperry conducted the Baccalaureate Service and Professor G. Wallace Woodworth '24 played selections on the organ by Haydn, Handel, and Frescobaldi.

Seniors donned their caps and gowns for the first time for this event, and marched in procession behind the class officers from Holworthy Hall through the Yard and into Memorial Church.