Oklahoma State recognizes graduates at commencement ceremonies

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven W. Taylor addresses OSU graduates during one of two commencement ceremonies Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. The McAlester native graduated from OSU in 1971 with a political science degree. More than 1,700 graduates were recognized during Graduate College and undergraduate ceremonies Friday and Saturday.

Oklahoma State University alumnus and State Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven W. Taylor told OSU graduates Saturday to remember the power of love in the wake of Friday's elementary school shooting in Connecticut.

During two fall undergraduate commencement ceremonies at Gallagher-Iba Arena, Taylor said, "Love your family as if your life depends on it, because it does. Remember who loves you."

Saturday's two commencement ceremonies recognized graduates from OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; College of Arts and Sciences; College of Education; College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology; College of Human Sciences, and Spears School of Business. The OSU Graduate College held its commencement Friday night. In all, more than 1,700 graduates were recognized during OSU's 126th commencement ceremonies Friday and Saturday.

Taylor encouraged the graduates to find their calling. "Identify the needs around you. Where your interests intersect with those needs, that is your calling," Taylor said. "Remember the Golden Rule, 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. Follow it and justice will be done."

In closing his remarks, Taylor referenced African-American abolitionist Harriet Tubman and British statesman Winston Churchill to challenge the graduates to persevere as they move forward with their lives and careers. Tubman told slaves seeking freedom to "keep going". "Adversity will come your way," Taylor said. "Keep going."

Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis congratulates a graduate during OSU’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. More than 1,700 graduates were recognized during Graduate College and undergraduate ceremonies Friday and Saturday.

Borrowing from Churchill, Taylor said, "Never give up. Never, never, never. Never give up on your dreams, love, good, the goodness of people, faith and freedom. Never give up on yourself."

Justice Taylor graduated from OSU in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in political science and was awarded a juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1974. He is the only person to have received the highest alumni recognition from both OSU and OU.

Taylor was appointed as a justice of the state's highest court in 2004 after serving more than 20 years as a trial judge. During that time he presided over more than 500 jury trials, including the Terry Nichols Oklahoma City bombing case.

In 2007, Taylor was named one of the "100 Who Shaped Us" – a list of living and past Oklahomans who influenced the first 100 years of our state, published in the centennial edition of Oklahoma magazine. He and his wife Mary have one son, Wilson. Mary is a teacher with McAlester Public Schools.