Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 12/12/98
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   

Photo accompanies release
LIVINGSTON, MORRISON EXCHANGE GREETINGS AT SLU GRADUATION
     HAMMOND -- Ninety-year-old James H. Morrison, who spent 11 consecutive terms in
Washington as the representative of the 6th Congressional District from 1942-1967, had some
advice Dec. 12 for a younger man who walks the halls of Congress today.
     "Always remember you will be measured by what you get done," Morrison told 
Congressman Robert L. "Bob" Livingston, who in January will become the nation's third highest
ranking official when he assumes the position of  Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
      Morrison and Livingston exchanged affectionate greetings at a special brunch just before
Livingston, clad in graduation regalia, marched with President Sally Clausen and 961
Southeastern seniors into the SLU University Center arena for fall 1998 commencement
exercises. The exuberant graduates, as well as an arena packed with their friends and families,
rose to their feet with cheers as Livingston was introduced as keynote speaker.
     At the brunch, which honored Southeastern alumni who graduated 50 or more years
earlier, Livingston said he was once advised,  "Be like Jimmy Morrison. Take care of your
constituents and everything else will take care of itself. It's worked okay for me," Livingston
said, laughing.
     The tall Speaker-elect and the white haired retired Congressman spoke at the center of a
crowd of media representatives, who trailed Livingston to Southeastern, and the 15 "Golden
Graduates" honored at the brunch. At the podium, Livingston told Southeastern's graduating
class to find what they like to do and do it well.
     "You may fail along the way," said Livingston, reviewing his own rise from humble
beginnings through military service, law school and early lessons about politics and persistence
from Louisiana's first successful Republican Dave Treen, "but if it is what you want, you can
pick yourself up along the way and still get there."
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LIVINGSTON   Add One                     

"You are here today because of the decisions you have made in your life," Livingston said.
 "Some of you have made only the right decisions, have done it all right. There are others of you,
like me, who didn't do it all right. But you're here and they can't take that away from you.
Congratulations!"
     President Sally Clausen said the fall 1998 class was the largest in Southeastern's history
and that within its numbers were 631 women and 325 men receiving 13 different degrees. The
graduates, she said, also included the School of Nursing's 2000th graduate and 169 new teachers.
Detailing the graduates' quality, Clausen said that Southeastern nursing graduates have a 96
percent pass rate for the state nursing licensure examination as compared to the state's 92 percent
pass rate and the nation's 88 percent. Southeastern's 94 percent passage rate on the National
Teachers Exam also exceeds the state's average, Clausen said.
     
                                                     -SLU-
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