A Colbert Report

The other day, I was trading a bunch of emails with my Northwestern roommate, Jim Backstrom, Esq.  (H wasn't "Esq" then, though close, but he's gone up in the world since then.) At one point, he sent me a link to a video that also-fellow alum Stephen Colbert posted six years, telling a story that he referenced (though not in as much detail as here) when he received an honorary doctorate from the school in 2011.

​I had to laugh, too, because I also almost didn't graduate.  And even had a similar story – and “similar” in more ways that one might think.
 
In my tale, one day very late in my senior year, something occurred to me out of the blue (to this day, I don’t know why it popped into my head) that I might possibly be one required class short.  I thought I had taken one of the qualifying classes that were on the “required” list.  But in thinking about this, I felt the one I’d taken might not have qualified.  And I realized that after registration for the final quarter had closed.  I went to talk to the assistant dean of the School of Speech (today it’s called the School of Communication) – and she confirmed to me that, no, the class I’d previously taken was not qualifying.  And she confirmed to me, too, that registration had closed, but happily she was able to get a graduate school class (which would satisfy the requirement) to let me register for it.  I got it all resolved by talking with that assistant dean -- Cathy Martin!!  Yes, the very same woman who – several years later – was then dean, and who wrote the “See me” note to Colbert about him being a credit short!  I remember asking her, after everything was settled, "If I hadn't realized this, would I have graduated?"  She answered, "No."
 
Cathy Martin was an extremely nice person, and a well-deserving dean.  And it was great to hear Steve Colbert reference her in his story.  As it happens, when I relayed this to Jim, it turned out that even he had a wonderful story about Cathy Martin.  (It’s hard to type “Dean Martin,” since that might make people think these stories are all about the popular singer and Sinatra pal from years back.)  Jim’s story wasn’t a “You won’t graduate” one – indeed Jim graduated a year early, so graduating was never an issue with him.  In fact, he got straight A’s in every one of his classes, except for one B.  And I’d read his term paper in that class, I believe political science – I think it had to do with the use of shibboleths in Nixon's inaugural trip to China.  (Really, I’m not making that up.)  And it was superb.  And the professor, for reasons unknown to Man, gave Jim his only B.  (My theory is that it’s like when Indians wove a rug, they always put a flaw in, so that they couldn’t be accused of think they were perfect and like God.  The professor, knowing Jim and his many great skills, thought he should be held to the very same standard.  At least that’s my theory.)  And lest you think that I'm exaggerating the high-quality of his paper -- later that year it won the John Kirk Oratory Award from the School of Speech! Anyway, his story with Cathy Martin revolved around career choice, and it was very nurturing.  As was her way.  He ended up an eminent attorney, which he remains today.  After an admirable career in government service as a U.S. Attorney heading the Anti-Trust division in Dallas.

But I digress.  Sort of.  Because ultimately this is about Stephen Colbert and the Commencement Address that he gave at Northwestern in 2011.  I thought I'd posted it previously -- I've posted the ones by Steve Carell, Seth Meyers and Gov. JB Pritzker, all of them terrific.  And Colbert's is, as well -- but when I did a search, I couldn't find it.  It might be there, but buried somewhere.  So, I knew I had to post it here.  And just under the wire before this part of his TV work is over in less than two weeks, for "unforced reasons," as the polite expression might goes, thanks to Trump's infantile insecurity and never mind that the First Amendment exists.  But also because it's really extremely good.  

It includes one passage I dearly love that deals with notable award winners who have come from Northwestern.  But then, it's full of great passages.

With an assist from Dean Cathy Martin.  Or, make that, many assists.