From its earliest days in the mid-1800s to the present day, common threads have tied one generation at Boston University to the next—a call for public service, a hunger for building community, a desire for learning excellence, a need for integrity and inclusivity. Throughout BU’s history, famous alumni, presidents and faculty, and distinguished Commencement speakers have used these words, values, and phrases, among many others, as calls to action and to spread messages of hope for the future.
This university is the home of the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and of Marsh Chapel. It’s where both Elie Wiesel and Martin Luther King, Jr., used the power of their voices to advocate for peace and fellowship and were chosen for the Nobel Peace Prize, where women’s suffrage leader Anna Howard Shaw found her calling, where groundbreaking US Congresswoman Barbara Jordan earned her law degree, and it’s home to a school named for the childhood education pioneer Lucy Wheelock.
In the spirit of these human values that help define BU, we gathered a series of quotes from notable figures throughout the University’s storied history that capture their importance to BU’s legacy. From speeches, books, and addresses, these words were spoken or written by members of the University community.
Read more about the University’s values initiative here: bu.edu/values
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