On Friday June 6, Vice Chairman of GE, President and CEO of GE Infrastructure, and Hamilton trustee John Rice '78 delivered the Reunions '08 keynote address to an audience of Hamilton alumni in the College Chapel.
College President Joan Hinde Stewart introduced Rice, saying, "The College and I in particular are deeply indebted to John for his discernment, for his empathy, and for his immense generosity." Stewart noted Rice's staunch support of U.S. public education, specifically Teach for America, a non-profit organization that recruits college graduates to teach in low-income communities across the country. Stewart also mentioned the atrium in the Blood Fitness and Dance Center is named in Rice's honor. "Respect is indeed what John inspires," she said as Rice joined her onstage.
Rice, whose 30th reunion at Hamilton coincides with his 30th year at GE, organized his speech around "some of the dots" he has connected during his international travels as a GE executive. He has observed an "enormous wealth disparity" on a global scale that sees the "rich getting richer at a much greater rate than the poor are catching up." Roughly one-third of the planet's population (1.5 to 2 billion people) does not have access to affordable energy or clean water, he said.
To that point, Rice discussed the implications of the increased value of commodities such as oil and gas, iron ore, coal and copper. Countries endowed with natural resources are "truly rich," he said, and that richness should translate into bigger and better solutions to humanitarian crises. He also predicted increasingly collaborative relationships between national governments and multinational corporations as problems such as poverty, disease, hunger and thirst continue to demand solutions on the planetary level. "Leaders understand they have to create more with the wealth in their countries than they have in the past," he said, "and big companies are going to have to be part of those efforts."
Rice addressed "global interconnectedness," recalling a recent visit with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, during which he asked the leader how concerned he was about the lagging U.S. economy. To Rice's surprise, the president said his country's trade with Europe and China would readily compensate for a U.S. economic slump. Taking Brazil as an example, Rice believes new flows of capital, information, and intellectual property are changing the way we relate to one another, both as members of the business community and as human beings. "Basically, companies, countries, communities, and institutions like Hamilton—their job is to be prepared for what happens next," he said. "That's when we bring it from the global to what happens right here."
Rice devoted the latter part of his address to a discussion of his role as an advocate and defender of U.S. public schools. His philanthropy in the area of public education has concentrated on the 50,000-student Atlanta, Ga., school system. The Atlanta district is comprised of a 90 percent minority student population, three-quarters of which are on reduced or free lunch plans. As part of its College Bound program, GE adopted a high school in the district, and provided $1 million to ensure the school would double the percentage of students graduating on time and going on to some form of postsecondary education. One of the Atlanta students who benefited from GE's College Bound, Rice revealed, is a current Hamilton student, who "may be back on this hill in 2040 celebrating her 30th reunion."
Rice stressed the importance of helping "more kids who have the ability to make it, and the ability to contribute. Give them a chance so that a place like Hamilton can take them and make them everything they're capable of being." In an increasingly small and well-connected world, Rice believes excellent education for all is the key to sustaining U.S. global competitiveness and quality of life. "If public school systems don't make it in the United States," said Rice, "we're not going to make it."
In closing, Rice urged his audience to think beyond the Hill, beyond Clinton, beyond New York and the U.S. to an international arena of thought, debate, and action. For Rice, Hamilton College is the first step: "This is a great institution because of what happens while you're here, and it's great because of what happens after you leave."
College President Joan Hinde Stewart introduced Rice, saying, "The College and I in particular are deeply indebted to John for his discernment, for his empathy, and for his immense generosity." Stewart noted Rice's staunch support of U.S. public education, specifically Teach for America, a non-profit organization that recruits college graduates to teach in low-income communities across the country. Stewart also mentioned the atrium in the Blood Fitness and Dance Center is named in Rice's honor. "Respect is indeed what John inspires," she said as Rice joined her onstage.
Rice, whose 30th reunion at Hamilton coincides with his 30th year at GE, organized his speech around "some of the dots" he has connected during his international travels as a GE executive. He has observed an "enormous wealth disparity" on a global scale that sees the "rich getting richer at a much greater rate than the poor are catching up." Roughly one-third of the planet's population (1.5 to 2 billion people) does not have access to affordable energy or clean water, he said.
To that point, Rice discussed the implications of the increased value of commodities such as oil and gas, iron ore, coal and copper. Countries endowed with natural resources are "truly rich," he said, and that richness should translate into bigger and better solutions to humanitarian crises. He also predicted increasingly collaborative relationships between national governments and multinational corporations as problems such as poverty, disease, hunger and thirst continue to demand solutions on the planetary level. "Leaders understand they have to create more with the wealth in their countries than they have in the past," he said, "and big companies are going to have to be part of those efforts."
Rice addressed "global interconnectedness," recalling a recent visit with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, during which he asked the leader how concerned he was about the lagging U.S. economy. To Rice's surprise, the president said his country's trade with Europe and China would readily compensate for a U.S. economic slump. Taking Brazil as an example, Rice believes new flows of capital, information, and intellectual property are changing the way we relate to one another, both as members of the business community and as human beings. "Basically, companies, countries, communities, and institutions like Hamilton—their job is to be prepared for what happens next," he said. "That's when we bring it from the global to what happens right here."
Rice devoted the latter part of his address to a discussion of his role as an advocate and defender of U.S. public schools. His philanthropy in the area of public education has concentrated on the 50,000-student Atlanta, Ga., school system. The Atlanta district is comprised of a 90 percent minority student population, three-quarters of which are on reduced or free lunch plans. As part of its College Bound program, GE adopted a high school in the district, and provided $1 million to ensure the school would double the percentage of students graduating on time and going on to some form of postsecondary education. One of the Atlanta students who benefited from GE's College Bound, Rice revealed, is a current Hamilton student, who "may be back on this hill in 2040 celebrating her 30th reunion."
Rice stressed the importance of helping "more kids who have the ability to make it, and the ability to contribute. Give them a chance so that a place like Hamilton can take them and make them everything they're capable of being." In an increasingly small and well-connected world, Rice believes excellent education for all is the key to sustaining U.S. global competitiveness and quality of life. "If public school systems don't make it in the United States," said Rice, "we're not going to make it."
In closing, Rice urged his audience to think beyond the Hill, beyond Clinton, beyond New York and the U.S. to an international arena of thought, debate, and action. For Rice, Hamilton College is the first step: "This is a great institution because of what happens while you're here, and it's great because of what happens after you leave."
