Twentieth Century

1934

Alan Chester Valentine Speaks at Commencement

Alan Chester Valentine, the Chairman of the Board of Admissions at Yale University, speaks at Wheaton’s 99th commencement. In addition to his role at Yale, Valentine was also a gold-medal-winning Olympic rugby player and the first head of the Economic Stabilization Agency under President Truman. Valentine’s speech, titled “Discontent in Women”, grapples with the graduates’ entrance into an “age of uncertainty”. Towards the end of his speech, Valentine leaves the class of 1934 with a question about the art of living: “What art could be more important, what art more essential in these times of uncertainty?”.