It brings me joy to welcome you all to Webster University tonight.  And it is especially wonderful to see my good friend Ambassador George Herbert Walker the third again.  This is a familiar place for Bert since he is a long-time standing member of our Webster extended family.  In fact, for many of you, he is a founding member.  For those of you who don’t know Bert, let me tell you a little about this amazing man.

Ambassador Walker is the embodiment of altruism…a person who finds genuine joy and fulfillment in the goodness of giving rather than the rewards of receiving.  His contributions are many.  His impact is transformational.  He is a testimony to resiliency and the value of humility which he has demonstrated quietly and consistently during his life from his service in the U.S. military to his days in business to his years as our country’s official representative to Hungary.  For that service, Ambassador Walker is still being praised.  In fact, ambassador walker has just received the highest award given by the country of Hungary…the middle cross of the order of merit.  This is the same award the first president bush received in honor of his service to help liberate Hungary.  The ambassador will also earn another title later this spring.  Two Hungarian universities, St. Istvan and the country’s largest university “pache” (pec), which was founded almost 400 years ago, will both honor ambassador walker on may 19th with an honorary doctorate degree.

Ambassador Walker personifies commitment and bears witness to the difference that dogged determination can make in a career, a cause, or a country.  He knows firsthand that success comes to those who see possibilities where others see pitfalls.

As you’ll soon hear, ambassador walker’s story is a captivating story of perseverance and hope.  It is a message that is revealing in its relevance and poignant in its purpose.  He truly exemplifies the saying “all we can ask in our lives is that perhaps we make a difference in someone else’s life.”

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming to our 2007 success to significance speaker series – Ambassador George Herbert Walker, the Third.

""My friends, I welcome you to a new era of institutional accountability where we will be measured not by how many students we enroll but how successful we are to embolden our mission to prepare lifelong learners." "

- Dr. Benjamin Akande