2026 Commencement: BG William McCollough '91, VSM

I will earnestly try in the next few minutes to convey the wisdom of this place of ours on behalf of the many thousands of Norwich Graduates that have come before us — I speak on their behalf. 

In doing so I hope to adequately explain why I’m so moved by having the distinction to join you in receiving a Norwich diploma today. 

I must begin by telling you what a privilege it’s been to share this campus with you for the past four years and to witness first-hand what you have become since the first time many of us met in this very field house, under what you might remember as “slightly different circumstances.” 

Reflect for a moment on who you were when you began this journey.  

Now consider who you’ve become. 

Look around and see what your friends have become. From where I stand the transformation is remarkable.

In preparing to be your speaker today, I did a bit of research and found that the most successful commencement addresses are usually those filled with humor. So I went home and told my wife Miss Caroline that I was thinking of adding a few jokes to my remarks. 

She looked at me for a long moment and said in her best kind and patient voice, 

“I don’t want this to come across as mean or anything, but everyone except for you knows that you are not funny. So forget about the jokes, or I’m not going to attend the Commencement.” 

And that settled that brief thought experiment.  

In 1946, General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower spoke at this event. It was the first graduation season after the most cataclysmic event in history, and Gen Eisenhower, as the architect of allied victory in Europe, could have spoken at any university across this land. 

But he chose to speak here. Not to a cast of thousands with national media capturing every word, but to a few hundred Norwich graduates and their families, and at best, a single reporter from the Free Press or the Times Argus capturing a few notes of local interest.

Why?  Why did he come here?

Because he knew what he would find here is a rarity.

He came to our home on The Hill because he knew there was something distinct about our people — a steadiness — a quiet confidence brought about by our philosophy of an American education — made more potent by our New England winters and rural mountains — and emboldened by the pragmatism, fortitude, and “I Will Try” attitude that this combination of place and thought produces.

He would have known our Creed and found it to be a powerful distillation of the great American principles that had just prevailed in the battle against tyranny.

And he would have understood the profoundness of our foundational belief that a free republic depends on certain institutions that develop citizens and soldiers who are educated, strong, and true 

— who believe that obedience to law, when derived from the consent of the governed, is the guarantor of liberty and the ultimate guardian of all the rights and responsibilities prized by a free people. 

In other words, he came here because this is where he would find Norwich men. 

Were he alive today he would be immensely proud that he would now also find Norwich women. And he would not be in the least bit surprised that our University led the way in making this expansion, providing a path for our federal academies to follow.

This has been a long way to tell you that today, you will become full-fledged members of the remarkable line of NU alums stretching back centuries who are woven into the very fabric and character of our nation. 

You are the ones Gen Eisenhower was looking for in Plumley Armory 80 years ago.

You have a bright beginning in front of you, filled with promise and possibility. But this beginning also carries certain obligations. Part of the Spirit of Old NU is the belief that “to whom much is given, much is expected.” 

This spirit lives in the Norwich ring you wear and is echoed by the diploma you are about to receive.

A Norwich diploma is a unique and special thing.

The front side looks similar to any other college diploma. It has fancy writing, seals and signatures, all attesting to the rigor and accreditation of the degree you have earned. 

But the backside of our diploma is very different. In fact, there are none others like it — that’s where the other results of a Norwich education are recorded. 

Not on the front, as a public advertisement, 

but on the back, as a private reminder.

It takes believing eyes, along with a Norwich heart, to see the writing. 

For you that have both, this is what you will find written there.

Quote

“Having your name on the front of this diploma is not a small thing, and you should feel satisfaction in having earned it. But the things that will bring meaning and direction to how you use this degree, your character, are written here, on the back, to remind you of who you are, and what America and the world expect of their Norwich men and women. 

Foremost, you have learned and lived the virtue of courage. You are capable and willing, to take difficult paths, often without a clear idea of how it will turn out, but with steady conviction that you will not succumb to popular wrongs, when you know what is right. That you will attempt the difficult and dangerous deeds, in spite of the accompanying fears. This is listed first, to remind you that without courage, no other virtue will ever see the light of day. 

Second, you wear the Norwich ring. This tells the world, above all else, that you are trustworthy. You can be counted on. If it’s not true, you won’t say it; if it’s not yours, you won’t take it. When someone sees that ring on your finger, they know you are one of a unique breed who has that rare confidence to deal forthrightly with all people, in all situations. No postmodern relativism for you. Just the truth, spoken firmly and quietly.

This is what makes you the backbone of any thriving business, disciplined military unit, compassionate hospital, fair and just police force, effective government apparatus, and inspired element of civil society. 

Every neighborhood and community needs you and the integrity you bring. 

Third, As a Norwich graduate you are expected to live the Golden Rule — treating others as you wish they would treat you — and you must do so at a higher level of wisdom, using temperance to strike the balance among justice, mercy, and grace that a free and just society must aspire to.

America will look to you to be both a fair boss, and a diligent worker. Honoring both ends of the simple but essential principle of an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage. Such a simple concept — but one that will require daily attention.

As an alum, people will expect you to be gritty, tough, and reliable in a scrap. This has been said of us Norwich people for a long time. You will live out these traits by continuing to embody our motto — I Will Try. 

Your future will be marked from time to time by people who will tell you your goals and dreams are not realistic. They’re unachievable. They can’t be done. Your response, as you roll up your sleeves, must be, “you may be right, but I’m a Norwich graduate. I’m not going to concede that until I’ve tried it with my own hands.” And then you’ll bend your back and mind to the attempt. 

Should you fail, you’ll have no regret. You entered the arena and gave it your best. 

Should you succeed, you’ll have taught another wayward soul what it means to have been educated under the Partridge Model, what “I Will Try” looks like in application.

Your neighbors are going to look to you as an example of what it means to be educated — not just in your degree or other matters of the mind, but just as importantly, in matters of the heart, and the gut, and the soul. It’s this full education that will drive you to be the person you must be — a loyal spouse, a loving parent, a reliable friend, a trusted leader, a steadfast follower, and a capable citizen. 

You’ll be one of those people that others are thankful to have in their lives. 

Other’s joys will be greater in your presence, just as their burdens and sorrows will be lighter — brought about by your will of iron and nerves of steel — your tongue of silver and your heart of gold. 

And never to be forgotten, when called upon, you will lead. For those of you headed into or continuing military service, you will be the ones that America’s mothers and fathers will pray lead their sons and daughter into harm’s way, should that duty arise. They will say this prayer because they have faith in you, in what you are made of and what you stand for.

Despite living out these admirable qualities, you will retain our Norwich humility. Like those who came before you, you will build your reputation on actions, not intentions, and you will measure your effect by what is reflected in the eyes and lives of others, not the mirror of vanity or the empty valuation of applause.

These obligations are not relics of an old-fashioned time — they are the essence of a Norwich education and the engine that drives our nation and its culture forward in our endless quest to form a more perfect union and ensure the future of this free republic. 

These beliefs are your inheritance from all who have earned a Norwich diploma before you, and you must preserve them for all who will seek to earn one after you.

And finally, as you live these thoughts out, know this: you will always have at least one old, retired Commandant and Norwich Man in your corner, waiting with pride and anticipation to see the marks that you will make."

And it is there that the writing fades, leaving just enough room at the bottom for you to add your own aspirations.

Your own reminders to yourself.

So, my fine graduates, display your hard-earned diplomas proudly. But every once in a while, when the world has you wondering, take them off the wall, look at the back, and remind yourself of the invisible words written there.

Because what the world needs, and America yearns for,
          is a little more Norwich, a few more of you, 
                    you men and women of substance and character,
                              that are simply known as Norwich Graduates.

Congratulations, Norwich Forever, and Glory to Old NU.