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Google
Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt
spoke
to the 253rd graduating class at the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia today. In
addition to being the commencement speaker, Schmidt was
given an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Penn
(the Princeton graduate was already a doctor,
having earned a Ph.d in computer science from Berkeley).
I was in the audience because my daughter Brittany
was a member of the class of 2009 at Penn, where she
graduated magna cum laude with a degree in biochemistry
(she is going on to medical school at Florida State). 
Scene
from today's commencement at the University of
Pennsylvana. Penn was founded by Benjamin
Franklin in 1740 and is one of the
"Ancient 8" schools that make up the Ivy
League. Google Chairman and CEO Eric
Schmidt can be seen speaking on the side Jumbotrons. Schmidt
began his talk by pointing out that the world's first
electronic computer, ENIAC,
was invented in a basement at Penn in 1946. He
noted that every computer related device that we take
for granted today stems from that breakthrough at Penn
which he said makes the school "the center of my
world." He added that 250 of Google's current employees
are Penn alumni and said "this is the most
desirable place in the world for us to hire
interns." That had to be music to the ears of
graduates who are facing one of the worst job markets
since the Great Depression. 
Google
Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt delivering his
outdoor commencement address
at the Unversity of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field
today in Philadelphia. Schmidt
drew many laughs by comparing today's technology and
student attitudes to the way things were when he was in
college. The crowd particularly appreciated Schmidt's
observation that "We didn't tell people about our
most embarassing moments in college. Today you record
them and post them on Facebook!" Schmidt
encouraged the graduates to continuing cultivating an
inquiring mind and to search for new and better ways to
do things. He noted, "A mind set in its ways, is a
life wasted - don't do it!"
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Grammy
winner John Legend speaking to
UPenn College of Arts & Sciences
graduates Sunday night in Philadelphia. |
While degrees were
conferred to students from all of Penn's colleges
today (including Penn's world famous Wharton
School of Business), the indvidual colleges held
their own graduation ceremonies (during which the
individual students were recognized) on Sunday. At
Brittany's College of Arts & Sciences
ceremony last night we were privileged to hear an
inspiring speech from six-time Grammy
winner John
Legend who graduated from Penn in 1999
(he was known as John Stephens before taking up
his current stage name).
Legend is also
becoming known as much for his humanitarian
efforts as for his musicianship. He recently
launched The Show Me Campaign
through which his fans are encouraged to
donate funds toward improving the living
situations and prospects of victims of extreme
poverty in Mbola, Tanzania. Legend,
in early 2008, also began touring with |
|
Professor Jeff
Sachs of Columbia University's Earth
Institute to promote sustainable
development as an achievable goal. |
Brittany
loved her four years at Penn and Diana and I have really
enjoyed our frequent trips to the great city of
Philadelphia while she was there (Philly also happens to
be home base for some of the domain industry's top pros,
including attorneys John Berryhill and Ari
Goldberger (Ari is also a Penn alumnus). Our family
sends a big "thank you" to the University of
Pennsylvania and "The City of Brotherly Love"
for what has been a very special time in our lives. |
