McMullen
urges graduates to continue learning
Click here to read the Honorary Degree Citation for John J. McMullen.
It is always an honor to receive accolades from institutions, but it
is doubly so in this case since I have lived in Montclair since I was
about 8 years old. I attended the Immaculate Conception Grammar School,
the George Innes Junior High School and the Montclair High School, graduating
in 1936. It was a long time ago. So it is a double thank you to the University
for selecting me as an honorary doctoral candidate this year.
As I mentioned, I am a product of the Montclair school system and after
my graduation from Montclair High School, I attended the United States
Naval Academy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a master’s
degree in mechanical engineering and followed a few years later by being
awarded a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering from the Swiss Institute
of Technology in Zurich.
I am one of those persons who likes to facetiously say that "he has
been educated beyond his intelligence." I congratulate all of you
at today's ceremony and urge you to continue your education to the maximum
extent possible. Your successes in life can only be achieved through superior
qualifications, which you can obtain by further education.
I wish to thank Dr. Cole and the other members of this university for
having selected me as one of your honorary doctorates and I assure you
I will attempt to live up to its responsibilities. Thank you once again
and have a great life.