"In 1979, the year most of ya’ll were born, I was finishing up The Lords of Discipline and I tried to think of a line or words that would sum up better than anything how I felt and how other people feel about this college. I wanted it to be something ringing and affirmative, something true, something to be true for every person who has ever gone through the long gray line. I came up with this line, “I wear the ring." I think it is the best line I have ever written and the best English sentence I am capable of writing. I love that phrase. I love that sentence. Thirty-four years ago I sat in this field house. My mother and father, my six brothers and sisters, sitting in the audience as your parents are sitting now. My parents—it was their proudest day. My mother wept when I came off [the stage] that day. She wept so hard, and I said, “Mom, what’s wrong?” And she said, “Son, you are the first person in my family who has ever graduated from college, and you did it at The Citadel.” And she said, “the best college in America.”"
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Pat Conroy, commencement address to The Citadel Class of 2001 on 12 May 2001
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Citadel
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
The Citadel
25 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by The Citadel →
Related Quotes
"Oh Citadel, we sing thy fame For all the world to hear. And in the Paths our fathers showed us Follow without fear. P…"
"Oh Citadel, though strife surrounds us, We will ever be Full conscious of the benefits That we derive from thee. Stan…"
"The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina: Founded in 1842 in Charleston, The Citadel graduated 6 Confedera…"
"The ring has symbolized outstanding accomplishments both by the Corps of Cadets and South Carolina. Perhaps the most …"
"Whereas The Citadel Cadet Ring displays the symbols and traditions of the Military College of South Carolina Corps of…"
"Upon immediate glance, the Non-Cadet ring simply displays “The Citadel, 1842”. The oval crest top of the Non-Cadet Ri…"
"On the right shank of the Non-Cadet Ring, the most prominent feature is the Eagle atop Bond Hall, another campus land…"
"The Citadel cherishes the belief that the more hardship endured by the young man, the higher the quality of the perso…"
"Recruited by 15 colleges, I made campus visits to The Citadel, Providence, and Holy Cross before Jack Riley, the West…"
"Go Dogs, Go down the Field, Let's win this game! Fight'em and Bite'em, The Corps sings your fame! Rah Rah Rah! Fight …"