University of Nevada - Artemisia Yearbook (Reno, NV)

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(jctferhcr Vail Pitttnan

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VhiterAitif rfthn h Jtratfch

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The (jotietHtrA HfteAAaye As Governor of the State of Nevada, I have shared with my predecessors in the interest that all of the citizens of Nevada have taken in their University. We have noted with pride its steady growth and advancement, and although other auestions may find a division of opinion, there has never been other than a unanimous conviction among our people that the welfare of the University and the welfare of the State are inextricably linked ... The students and graduates of previous years have scattered throughout the world. They have done well, and the communities in which they have settled have profited through the acquisition of men of intelligence and good will. Here in Nevada the graduates of the University, both men and women, are found in positions of trust and responsibility in every line of endeavor. They are leaders in their communities. Their influence is felt in every stream of our life. The influence they exert is not static, but is rapidly expanding as every class enters into commercial and professional life ... I know that it is customary, though possibly tedious, to offer to graduates and undergraduates certain advice concerning the future. It may be encrusted with the patina of years of repetition but it would appear that the advice is good and the custom sound, having so successfully withstood the years. I would like to combine, if I may, advice and a request, so that the influence of the University may continue to be reflected in widening circles. ' The advice is not new— it has been given many times before— but its validity has never been so apparent as it is today. It can be given in four words, which are also a request: Be interested in politics . . . There are many of you, so recently in uniform, who know that every citizen has a deep, personal stake in the affairs of his country and the world. No individual can afford to neglect politics, which establishes the nature of government in this country and the country ' s relations with the world, while he pursues his personal interests with undivided attention ... The vital necessity for individual interest in the broad development of public policy must not overshadow the fact that national expression is a reflection of our home communities and our local politics. It is equally necessary that you interest yourself in the choice of capable men in city, country, and state govern- ments. The influence you can directly assert in such selections will be felt throughout the structure of our national life . . . Your government and your future are closely linked It is my e arnest wish, and that of the people of Nevada, that they both be bright with the fulfillment of the promise of today. Sincerely, VAIL PITTMAN, Governor 15