Presentations at Staff Awards Ceremony

Because this is such a special event, I spent a lot of time trying to decide what to say to you this morning. I finally decided to talk about one of my favorite things – numbers. Yes, you heard me correctly – numbers. The reason I am so fascinated with numbers is because I’ve found that behind every number there is a story just waiting to be told.

And so with your help today, I would like to tell you a story – a numbers story.

Just take a look at this program! There are more than 200 people (219 people to be exact) celebrating anniversaries from 5 years to 41 years. By my calculations, that’s 2,832 years of service. Just think about that!

Now here’s where I need you to help me out. I want you to say “That’s a big number” when I indicate, okay? Let’s try it.

As I said, that represents 2,832 years of service.

That’s a big number.

Let’s think for a moment of the 41 year career of Hallie Gail Cook. Think of the technology changes she’s seen. Think of the phone calls she’s answered. My best guess is that she has answered 29,134 phone calls.

That’s a big number.

And I suspect Gloria Kellum during her 38-year career has attended approximately 42,324 meetings.

That’s a big number.

Robert Bishop, Shirley Crawford and Kathy Tidwell in their 36 years here at Ole Miss have worked 28,080 days.

That’s a big number.

And during the 36 years Robert Khayat has been here, he has raised – well, I can’t even imagine how many dollars of funding he has raised, but I do know that …

That’s a big number.

I could go on and on and on.

But as fascinating and descriptive as numbers are, they simply fail when I try to tell the real story of the people being honored today.

There is no number that can measure the amount of respect I have for the people in this room.

There is no number that can convey the warmth of your smiles, your steady commitment, the dedication that each of you shows day in and day out,

There is no number that can illustrate your quiet strength and your unfailing perseverance.

So in this number story told on Day 20 of Month 5 of the year 2005, I can tell you how many of acres of grounds we maintain. I can tell you the number of students that we serve. I can tell you the amount of growth we’ve experienced over the last 10 years.

But I cannot measure the most important component of our work here – the pride and love we have for this place we call Ole Miss.

Nor – more importantly -- can I measure the debt of gratitude we owe each of you for your unfailing and unselfish service.

And so to each of the 219 staff members being honored here today, along with the remaining 2,542 staff members, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing all you do to make Ole Miss a special place for us all.

Thank you.

Closing Remarks

We began this year’s Staff Appreciation Week on Monday with a beautiful service of “Music and Meditation” in the Paris-Yates Chapel. I would now like to close this ceremony with a passage by Kent Keith which Marcia Cole read during that service.

People may be unreasonable, illogical and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend building, someone may destroy overnight.

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, people may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people may forget tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and your God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

And so, my fellow staff members, you will face challenges and problems and obstacles.

But remember: forgive, be kind, be honest, be happy, and do your best – anyway.

Thank you.