More than 380 students graduated during The University of Findlay’s 2006 fall commencement at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, in the Koehler Fitness and Recreation Complex.

Richard E. White, UF Board of Trustees member, was presented with an honorary doctorate during commencement ceremonies. His formal citation follows:

THE UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY
HONORARY DOCTORATE CITATION

RICHARD E. WHITE

Richard E. White graduated from high school in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he received the annual award as Terre Haute’s outstanding scholar athlete.

He attended Indiana University and majored in business and economics. He was a member of Indiana’s basketball team which was competitive at the national level for all of his years at Indiana.

After graduation in 1955, he was employed by Ohio Oil Company, which later became Marathon Oil Company. He initially worked in sales and real estate acquisitions in the Midwest.

During the next few years, Mr. White held international and domestic management, marketing, real estate positions for Marathon, and oversaw the consolidation of six brands into Speedway, which became the lead gasoline brand in several Midwestern states. He also attended Harvard University’s advanced management program.

He was elected Marketing Vice President of Marathon in 1985 and held that position, with rank of Senior Vice President, until he retired in 1999.

Mr. White twice served as chairman of marketing and management committees for the petroleum industry. He received certificates of merit for bringing together the various arms of the petroleum industry so that common problems could be addressed.

Mr. White has served many civic endeavors in Findlay and Hancock County. He has been chair or president of most of the major civic, service, or charitable organizations, and has also taken an active role in politics since his retirement.

He became a trustee of The University of Findlay in 1996, co-chair of the Business Affairs Committee in 2001, and Vice Chair of the Board in 2002. His business expertise, insight, vitality, sound judgment, and dedicated service have greatly benefited The University of Findlay.

Mr. White has been a highly engaged person for all of his professional life. It is a pleasure to recognize him today for his major contributions in business, in the life of the communities in which he has lived, and in society in general.

In behalf the Board of Trustees, and under the authority granted to The University of Findlay by the State of Ohio, it is a pleasure to award the Doctor of Business degree to Richard Earl White, with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereto.

Doctor of Business Degree
Awarded and Conferred by:
C. Richard Beckett, Chairman of the Board
DeBow Freed, President
December 8, 2006

Dr. Richard Anderson, chairman of the board of The Andersons Inc., gave the commencement address:

The University of Findlay 2006 Fall Commencement Address by Richard Anderson

Saturday, Dec. 9, 2006

Thank you for that kind introduction, Dr. Freed.
 
I was honored to have been asked, and I am delighted to be here today.

To you graduates – and your parents – I extend my sincerest congratulations. I also congratulate this fine university and its excellent faculty and staff for their often unheralded vital role in bringing you all to this point.

I believe that my assignment today is to try to impart some knowledge that is based on my experience over the 77 years of my life. With that in mind, I have chosen to share some of what I have learned about the phenomenon we call “Leadership.”

Most of you are already caught up in this life-long challenge that will very likely intensify for you as your lives move forward. So – this will be a sharing of my reflections on “Leadership” after a lifetime of observation and participation.

Perhaps the very word “leadership” makes you somewhat uncomfortable, as it did me for a long time. Perhaps it was because of an imagined expectation that I didn’t know exactly how to fulfill. Perhaps it was because of an uncomfortable feeling of arrogance I had when situations first placed me in the role of “Leader.” Perhaps it was because of an equally uncomfortable feeling of resistance or even resentment when I was placed in the role of “follower” or being “led.”

Regardless – I have come to believe that we live in a highly organized society that derives incredible benefit from working in groupings of all sizes and descriptions. And, I further came to realize that “Leadership” is essential for the effective function of groups ranging from families, to businesses of every shape and size - as well as institutions like this university, churches, and the myriad segments of the local, state, national, and global political arenas.

So, for my purposes here, let’s just accept the fact that we are all very much involved in the phenomenon we refer to as “Leadership.” And that this involvement will intensify as your lives progress.

Volumes have been written on the subject and certainly the subject is nowhere near exhausted. For the next few minutes I want to use four words to frame what my experience has taught me about the elements of leadership and what I believe are some of the characteristics of a leader.

Those four words are: Vision, Values, Service, and Decisiveness.

First, Vision: For me, this revolves around two connected habits: a strong interest in and personal responsibility for what is to come – and – a consistently positive outlook.

This results in a tendency to feel good about the future – and an approach to life that helps others feel good about their future.

My father was the most honest and honorable person I ever met. He suffered depression in his early years, but, through his struggles, he came to realize he needed to take charge of his future and find the key that will get him excited about that future.

My mother told me an interesting story about their early life together.

He had a tendency to be grumpy first thing in the morning. Mom approached him and asked him why he chose to act like that. His reply was most interesting: “Margaret, nothing is more important to me than integrity – so I just won’t fake the way I am feeling.”

Her response was equally interesting: “Harold, you are the leader of our family – and leaders just can’t behave like that!”

That little story has meant a lot to me over the years.

I mentioned a moment ago our need to find the key to getting excited about our future.

That’s where a shared and well articulated mission comes to bear – one that is clear and always in sight. As you develop your mission and you’re climbing the ladder of life, just make sure that your ladder is leaning against the right house!

That leads me to the second word: “Values”, because those values you choose will have everything to do with how you will shape your mission and goals.

Permit me to list just 4 values that register high with me when I think about leadership:

• Respect for and concern for others:

•  I am convinced that we are all locked into a lifelong battle with our concern for self. An ego that is balanced and consistently under control is a source of profound effectiveness with others and satisfaction in life. Words won’t do it here. Little things done consistently over time can be powerful. I’m sure you have felt the impact of being listened to, by someone who counts, when you really needed it.

• Integrity and Honesty.

• We build a reputation over a lifetime – like a beautiful mosaic, and it can be dashed in a split second. Integrity is certainly connected with our ability to lead and influence others. In fact, I believe it is the very essence of leadership. Without it, there can be no trust.
  

• Dignity of work

• I have known many people who have tried to make it easy for their children. This wasn’t the case for me or my 4 brothers and two sisters. “Work is a blessing” was one of my dad’s favorite one liners. He not only believed it with all his heart – but he also believed that we should be the most blessed of all families. I had a hard time understanding when I was a kid.

• Over time, however, I began to realize what he was trying to get at. During WWII all 4 of my brothers were in the service and my dad held me out of high school for a year between my sophomore and junior years, to work with him in our dairy farming operation.

• Up every morning at 2 a.m. for the first milking from 2 a.m. till 7 a.m. Then eat breakfast, sleep for 4 hours and then back to the barn for the second milking from 1 p.m. till 6 p.m. 7 days a week – 365 days a year – no breaks – Christmas and all.

• One morning my dad and I went to a sale to buy an animal he was interested in. I overheard him say to someone at the sale “I don’t know what I would do without that kid!” I never had such a good feeling because I admired him so. And I had a second thought: I don’t know what he would do without me either!

• His respect and self respect too! It just couldn’t get any better than that! Such feelings are only made possible by doing the “work”!

• I define such work as “Doing something of value for others as well as yourself.”

• Competence: The 4th value I have chosen to highlight.

• This is the ability to do something of value, well. It is achieved through life long education; experience; doing the hard work and learning from mistakes.  Remember, people who never make mistakes always work for people who do.

The 3rd of my leadership words is “Service.”

Leadership is not having all the answers and telling others what to do – and having others obediently follow.

Things have changed in the Knowledge era. Often, with specialization and complexity, the specialist knows much more about his specialty that the leader he or she is responsible to.

Leaders make others successful. They listen, support, interpret, train, coach, integrate, motivate, communicate, inform – they essentially turn the organizational triangle upside down. With the leader on the bottom supporting all those who put the quality in the product and the sparkle in the service.

My 4th leadership word is “Decisiveness.”

While this seems to contradict the service message, the leader must, at times, take charge and decide. This can be lonely and difficult since, often, the issue in question is not to decide what is obviously good, versus, what is obviously bad. Often it involves choosing what is “least bad” now and hopefully best in the long run for the accomplishment of the mission.

Experience helps. A good track record over time is essential in order to continue on to more demanding leadership roles.

Story: Dad, how did you become so successful?
I made good decisions.
How do you make good decisions?
It takes experience.
How do you get experience?
Make bad decisions.

There is an acronym used in our company that relates to this little parable: “SEE.”

It stands for what happens when you screw up so bad that you are absolutely convinced that you will not survive. Such things happen in our personal lives and on the job.

It also stands for Significant Emotional Experience – just what we need to SEE that we must make permanent, positive change in our lives.

In conclusion, I would like to summarize:

For enlightenment, focus on:

• Vision – Be Positive! – with a future – even eternal orientation.

• Values – Have respect and concern for others!

• Service – Listen! Support! Help others succeed!

• Decide – Learn when and how! Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Learn to make a plus out of a minus!
  

Thanks for listening!

And once again, Congratulations! All the best in the future!

For more information and a schedule of 2006 commencement-related activities, click here.