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|Introduction of Gen. Tommy Franks as the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' Distinguished Alumnus
November 22, 2005
Scottsdale, Arizona
I'm honored to introduce General Tommy Franks, a great man and a great American. And I'm proud to recognize him as an alumnus of The University of Texas at Arlington.
General Franks is probably best known as Commander-in-Chief of United States Central Command and the leader of American and Coalition troops in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He is among his generation's most-decorated military leaders. During a four-decade career, he earned five Distinguished Service Medals, four Legions of Merit, four Bronze Stars, and three Purple Hearts in addition to numerous foreign awards. Queen Elizabeth II appointed him a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. President Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Of course, he's also known as a best-selling author and keynote speaker. His memoirs, American Soldier, debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller List in August 2004. (I keep a copy in my office.)
What you may not know about General Franks-and something I'm proud to mention now-is that he is also an advocate for higher education.
In fact, when UT Arlington named him a Distinguished Alumnus in 2002, General Franks said: "All of us have great wishes for our children and our grandchildren. Get an education, the key that unlocks the door. I am honored to be in this institution of higher education."
This is an strong statement from a man whose academic career started slowly, which he is quick to point out.
As a student at UT Austin, he succeeded, he admits wryly, only at flunking out. So he left school and joined the Army as a private. Following OCS, he was a second lieutenant bound for Vietnam.
He returned two years later to continue his education, this time at UT Arlington-not UT Austin-and had grown into a disciplined student focused on academics. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1971, with a 3.83 GPA.
In the 30 years since, General Franks has remained a loyal supporter of UT Arlington. I mentioned that he spoke on campus in 2002. He'll do so again for our all-university commencement convocation next May.
On behalf of everyone at UT Arlington, let me thank you, General Franks, for your support and dedication. We are proud that you represent our great University today…and always.
General Franks is a brilliant military strategist and a fearless leader. He is also a man with an unshakable sense of humor. Self-deprecating humor, I would point out.
"When you're responsible for things that are very important," he once said, "it's key that you're able to maintain your balance. I decided a long time ago that I would always take my job very seriously ... but myself not so seriously. I pay very close attention to the work we're trying to do, but I laugh at myself all the time." I want to read from the letter President Bush sent General Franks on the occasion of his retirement. The President wrote: "Our nation has been tested. We were attacked by ruthless killers who thought we would cower. They were wrong. We had a man named Franks in charge."
It is with great pride I give you the newest AASCU Distinguished Alumnus...General Tommy Franks.
