Mitchell E. Daniels, President of Purdue University
GIANT LEAPS Speech Introducing Dr. Condoleezza Rice

Good evening, I am Mitch Daniels, President of Purdue University.  I want to welcome our students, faculty, alumni, and friends to Purdue's Elliott Hall of Music. This evening is about recognizing Purdue's historic strengths and promoting new ideas supporting our mission to deliver higher education at the highest proven value. This final event commemorating Purdue's sesquicentennial, 150 Years of GIANT LEAPS is a yearlong celebration highlighting Purdue's research advancements in space exploration, artificial intelligence, health and longevity, and a sustainable planet and economy. This campaign has engaged influential global leaders who have taken GIANT LEAPS to solve global problems.

Tonight's GIANT LEAPS series concludes with one of the most sought-after speakers of our time, and I am delighted that Dr. Condoleezza Rice accepted the invitation. She has dedicated her life to public service and inspires women across the globe to take GIANT LEAPS. 

Her career has taken GIANT LEAPS in arts and sciences, academia, national security, and international relations. She is also a concert pianist, bestselling author, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Rice has broken barriers for women who wish to pursue a career in politics, and through her work at Stanford, she is helping to shape the minds of the next generation of leaders. Her career exemplifies Purdue's motto- "Whatever your pursuit, take GIANT LEAPS." There have been many first's in her career:

• She was the first-ever female provost of Stanford University;

• The first woman to be named National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush;

• The first African American to be the United States Secretary of State; and

• The first female member admitted to Augusta National Golf Club, an organization that had excluded women for 80 years.

Dr. Rice has worked tirelessly to educate the public on international relations. She is a Denning Professor in Global Business and Economy at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and also a tenured professor in Political Science. Today she serves as the Director of the Hoover Institution, "a public policy think tank that seeks to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity and prosperity while securing and safeguarding peace for America and all mankind" (Hoover Institute).

Please help me welcome "Condi," my friend and colleague, described as "the most influential woman in the world of global politics" (Condoleezza Rice Biography, n.d.).

[Start applause]

References 

Condoleezza Rice speaks at Purdue. (2019, October 23). Purdue 150th. https://takegiantleaps.com/former-u-s-secretary-of-state-condoleezza-rice-to-speak-at-purdue/.

Condoleezza Rice—Elliott—10-09-19—MediaSpace. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://mediaspace.itap.purdue.edu/media/Condoleezza+Rice+-+Elliott+-+10-09-19/1_gn6icm08/111055672.

Condoleezza Rice | Stanford Graduate School of Business. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/condoleezza-rice.

Condoleezza Rice Biography—Life, family, childhood, children, parents, name, history, wife, school. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ow-Sh/Rice-Condoleezza.html.

Condoleezza Rice. (n.d.). National Women's History Museum. Retrieved from https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/condoleezza-rice.

Rice shares viewpoint on world leaders. (2019, November 5). Purdue 150th. https://takegiantleaps.com/rice-shares-viewpoint-on-world-leaders-and-developing-leaders/.

Q&A With Condoleezza Rice, The Eighth Director Of The Hoover Institution. (n.d.). [Text]. Hoover Institution. Retrieved from https://www.hoover.org/news/qa-condoleezza-rice-eighth-director-hoover-institution.