Tom Watson Sr. Quotes on Youth, Education, and the Future
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Date Published: January 1, 2024
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Insights into Thomas J. Watson Sr., Traditional Founder of IBM from
"THINK Again!: 20th Century Ideas and High Ideals for the 21st Century"
"THINK Again!: 20th Century Ideas and High Ideals for the 21st Century"
Tom Watson’s High Ideals on Youth, Education, and the Future
The topic of Tom Watson's last editorial was “Youth.” It was written at 82 years of age—in the very month of his death. Over his lifetime, Tom Watson delivered innumerable baccalaureate addresses to college graduates—to youth at a critical point in their lives. This is a small collection of his advice dispersed on such occasions. This author has documented that—at a minimum—Tom Watson spoke as a lecturer, commencement speaker, or principal speaker at more than twenty-one commencement exercises at U.S. colleges and universities.
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“We have no right to feel that we are doing a good educational job until we can offer an opportunity to every child regardless of his station in life.”
Tom Watson, Rollins College, February 1937
“Age is not measured by year. Age is measured by vision. Some men are old at 40 and others are young at 80.”
Tom Watson, Tusculum College, June 1946
“It is not so important to fit students for a specific work as it is to teach them the philosophy of life, the value of character and culture, and the importance of ideas and ideals to the end of preparing them for useful and progressive citizenship. Money standards may change; political parties may decline; but as long as our educators advance, the world is safe.”
Tom Watson, Lafayette College, October 1931
“Neither great natural resources nor engineering skill can build a successful civilization on any foundation other than character. Never confuse character with reputation. Reputation is what people think you are; character is what you really are. … If we could not depend on the integrity and character of the great majority of our fellow men, it would be impossible to operate a business establishment. … The most valuable asset that you have is character.”
Tom Watson, Colgate University, June 1936
“The young people of today are, in my judgment, growing up with more intelligence and tolerance than those of the past. … That is why I am so optimistic about the future. … When you get out on your own, you are going to need to guard against two types of minds: The reactionary, which believes that nothing new should ever be tried; and the radical, which thinks the impossible can be accomplished immediately. I hope that you students will stay in the center and develop a progressive mind.”
Tom Watson, Huntingdon College Chapel, March 1941
“You must guard yourselves against the reactionary mind, the ‘cannot’ mind, which tells us that ‘it cannot be done; we tried that, and it did not work.’ The only way to get anywhere is by trying something. … Guard yourselves against those … who feel we are still living in another generation. Many of them are losing sight of the fact that we are living in a changed world and that the old formulas no longer work.”
Tom Watson, Cumberland University, June 1936
“There is only one thing that I can guarantee to you about the future, and that is that the future is the place where you are going to spend the rest of your lives. … [but] there is no mystery about success in that future. If you will think right, work and apply the rules of common sense, with a firm belief in your own ability—success will be assured.”
Tom Watson, Oglethorpe University, May 1939
“The real strength of a nation, or of the world, is not in its material resources but in its human assets. The world’s future will be in the hands of the youth of today. What these young men and women will become tomorrow depends upon the education and moral training they receive today. They will make this a good world in which to live if they possess the moral fiber which comes from a sincere appreciation of spiritual values and the constant development of character in all their human relationships.”
Tom Watson, Youth Week Endorsement, January 1946
