Ransom Wilson

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Internationally renowned flutist Ransom Wilson drew on his Alabama roots when selecting the musical piece he would play in his role as commencement speaker at today’s University of Alabama spring commencement ceremonies. His selection was the UA fight song, “Yea, Alabama.”

“This is a composition I heard here in Tuscaloosa when I was a child. I am fairly certain that you will recognize it,” said Wilson, a Tuscaloosa native, prior to playing the song that brought thunderous applause from those at the ceremonies.

In his speech, Wilson noted the two-sided image the world has of the United States and how today’s graduates must work to effect peace and stability in the world.

“There can be little doubt that we are, in many ways, the most powerful people on earth. Unfortunately, as the horrific events of the past two years have taught us, we are increasingly the most despised people on earth,” Wilson said.

“The survival of our world requires that you use this powerful force for good: to be proactive for the peace, harmony, and well-being -- not just of people like you, but, in particular, for those least like you. You must help to increase the peace of our small planet,” he said.

Wilson, speaking at both the morning and afternoon ceremonies and receiving an honorary doctorate of humane letters, has long been recognized as one of the world's leading instrumentalists. He is equally esteemed as an outstanding conductor of orchestral and operatic repertoire.

He has accompanied many internationally renowned artists from the podium, including Itzhak Perlman, André Watts, Frederica von Stade, Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg, Joshua Bell, Garrick Ohlsson, Jeffrey Kahane and Robin Sutherland. He is an Artist Member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and he is a professor of flute at Yale University. He has recorded 30 albums as both flutist and conductor and was three times nominated for the "Grammy" award. Other awards he has received include the Alabama Prize from the New York Times Foundation, and the Award of Merit in Gold, from the Republic of Austria.

Two University-wide commencement ceremonies were held today, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, to award degrees. Today’s ceremonies marked the 11th straight year in which 4,000 or more students have graduated from UA. Today’s ceremonies included 2,467 degree candidates, bringing the total number of graduates in this academic year to more than 4,500. UA holds commencement ceremonies three times a year -- in May, August and December.

The UA School of Law had its own ceremony, with David Bronner, CEO of Retirement Systems of Alabama, the largest financial organization in Alabama, delivering its commencement address. He has been featured in numerous business periodicals including The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Forbes Magazine, and The Money Manager. Bronner holds both a law degree and a doctorate from the Capstone and served as assistant dean of UA's School of Law from 1972-73.

Also during the 9 a.m. ceremonies, two distinguished Alabamians received two of UA’s top awards. Wayne Flynt, Distinguished University Professor at Auburn University and a renowned expert on Southern history, politics and religion, received the Hugo Black Award, UA’s top award, in recognition of his distinguished service to the people of Alabama and the nation.

H. Pettus Randall III, who served as chair of Randall Publishing before his death in 2002, was the posthumous recipient of the Julia and Henry Tutwiler Award, UA’s most prestigious award for volunteer service to UA and the people of Alabama.

An outspoken advocate, Flynt has traveled the state of Alabama giving countless lectures on the plight faced by all Alabamians, particularly its poor citizens. In part, the interest grew from the federal war on poverty and his own Appalachian years in the mountains of northeast Alabama. His research led to his acclaimed book, “Poor But Proud: Alabama’s Poor Whites,” which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and won the coveted Lillian Smith Award for Non-Fiction in 1990.

A native Alabamian, Randall earned his bachelor’s in history and English from UA; and his Juris Doctor from the UA School of Law in 1971. He became president of the family-owned Randall Publishing in 1976 and chairman and CEO in 1984. He remained active until his death on Sept. 7, 2002, following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Randall’s involvement in civic, fraternal and religious organizations included the Tuscaloosa Chamber of Commerce, the Tuscaloosa Arts Council, the Boys and Girls Club of Tuscaloosa, the Episcopal Church, the March of Dimes, the United Way and the Tuscaloosa Association of Retarded Citizens and more. In 2002, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama and was named Tuscaloosa County’s Citizen of the Year for 2002 by the Tuscaloosa Civitan Club.

With this graduating class, UA has awarded more than 185,000 degrees since its founding in 1831.