For decades, Drake students have donned caps and gowns, crossed the stage for their diplomas, and taken the sage advice of a speaker before shifting their tassels and calling themselves alumni. The class of 1936, however, may have had cause to sit a little straighter in their seats and listen more closely, as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt gave that year’s commencement address. Below, Mrs. Roosevelt is pictured with Arthur Rider, head of the chemistry department, and Daniel Morehouse, president of Drake University from 1923 to 1941.
“If we are going to succeed in solving our own and international problems, it is going to necessitate a much more cooperative world attitude than ever before,” she said during her speech. “You who will be tomorrow’s leaders must think along the lines of what is good for your community, your country, and the world as a whole.”
