July 17, 2025
President Robert W. Iuliano
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
As Delivered.
Greetings and Opening Address
Thank you, Michael [Birkner]. Let me begin by offering all of you—families, friends, and, most importantly, graduates—a really warm welcome to Gettysburg College. We may have overdone the “warm” part of it, but still, I hope you’ve had the chance to enjoy your time on campus.
To that end, how many of you have never been to Gettysburg before?
I hope you have had a remarkable visit. Whether you’ve been part of the teachers’ symposium over the last several days or you just arrived today, this is a wonderful opportunity to really enjoy it.
We’re so excited to have you here for this celebration. It is an extra special occasion because you are only the third class to graduate from Gettysburg College as part of this remarkable partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute—and it really speaks to your passion and commitment, and your ability to inspire your students as they think about their own careers.
So, I am now beginning my seventh year as president of Gettysburg College and I can tell you with certainty that this is really a remarkable place. In our language, it is a place that is committed to offering our students A Consequential Education. It’s unlike any place that I have been before and, again, I hope you’ve gained a sense of that while you’ve been on campus.
And, I hope you take the spirit of this place back to your campuses, whether that is near or far—and perhaps share that spirit with your students, as they consider where they may want to spend their collegiate years. We have a long tradition here of graduating teachers, and I can tell you that when our graduates have one of their students attend the College, they have a special smile on their face borne of that special connection. I hope that for you as well.
This morning, I would like to reflect a little bit on a leader whose name is forever connected to Gettysburg: General George Gordon Meade. Though he assumed command of the Army of the Potomac just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg began, his steady leadership proved quite instrumental in preserving the Union.
General Meade was born in Spain to a prominent Philadelphia family. His path to military service was anything but a straight line, with his father’s bankruptcy interfering with his education. But he ended up going to West Point, graduating in 1835, and that set the stage for what proved to be at times a tumultuous military career.
Shortly after he graduated from West Point, Meade actually left the military and began work as a civil engineer. He’d return to the service as part of the engineer corps during the Mexican-American War.
By the time he came here to Gettysburg, few would have predicted that this man who had a bit of a reputation for being irritable— he was known as “Old Snapping Turtle” by his soldiers—no one quite thought that he would rise to such historic significance.
Yet, on the night of June 28, 1863, Meade was abruptly informed by General Halleck that he would be assuming command of the Army of the Potomac. Confederate forces were already deep into Pennsylvania. The stakes couldn’t have been higher. It is no exaggeration to say that the war itself hung in the balance.
Meade quickly adapted to the shifting circumstances on the ground. Under his leadership, the Union army positioned itself in a strong defensive posture, forming what’s known as a Fish Hook formation. When the Confederacy engaged in the infamous Pickett’s Charge, it was Meade’s artillery on Cemetery Ridge that helped deliver a devastating blow to the South.
While Meade was victorious, he received very little fanfare. Because notwithstanding the battle, he was criticized by many for what followed immediately after. For not doing enough, for not following and permanently debilitating Lee’s army as it retreated.
So, why am I mentioning this: “A,” because of the focus you all have on history, but “B,” in any good history, there’s something for us to learn as educators from Meade’s story.
When I look out at you this morning, I see an exceptional and dedicated group of teachers, scholars, and public servants. And just like Meade, who assumed his command just three days before the Battle of Gettysburg, you too—in a way—may often feel thrust into what’s become an increasingly urgent and complex challenge.
It could be the accelerated challenges of student learning in the aftermath of the pandemic, which continues to have an impact. It could be supporting students in their intensifying social, emotional, and intellectual needs. Or, adapting to shifting educational standards, and even perspectives on what education is that we see from the government and the public today.
Teachers are being asked to do more and to do it with less—all with increased scrutiny. You, like Meade, are being asked to step forward into the breach, when the future of our students is at stake. And when those students, when they graduate, in turn, will have our democracy in their hands.
None of this is easy.
And accomplishing what you all seek to accomplish requires persistence and discipline—something that students and parents may not always fully understand in the present moment. Maybe just maybe, if you’re lucky, and if your standards are high enough, you too will earn yourself a nickname like “Old Snapping Turtle” at your school, because you’ve asked so much of your students!
Embrace it. Keep challenging your students to be their very best. Because it matters. It matters profoundly.
Meade’s story at Gettysburg underscores the importance and quiet dignity of service. He never received his just due for the vast responsibilities he shouldered—or for his remarkable contributions to the American story. Instead, he just focused on the mission, the moment, and the people in his charge.
I believe you embody this same quiet courage.
Each of you made a conscious choice to pursue this advanced degree, driven by your desire to expand your own horizons. Know this: we here at Gettysburg College are immensely proud of you.
Your education, your hard work to arrive at this moment, will not only benefit yourself, but also your families, your students, and your community.
You all are Gettysburgians for life—and we look forward to partnering with you in all that comes next.
From all of us here at Gettysburg College, a hearty congratulations!
The Charge
It is now my honor to deliver the charge to this remarkable Class of 2025.
As Dr. [Caroline] Winterer conveyed in her moving remarks, you are now entrusted with a special responsibility—not only as Gettysburg College graduates, but as teachers, scholars, and historians, in a world too often defined by what divides us than by what unites us.
Inspired by the example of General Meade and Ralph Waldo Emerson, my charge to you today is simply this: shine brightly. May you encourage your students to step forward with courage and conscience; may you challenge them to question, to explore, and to seek truth in all that they do; and may you always teach them to be who they “inly are.”
We know that you will.
At this time, if you are able, I would ask all graduates to please rise.
On behalf of Gettysburg College and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, I want to thank you for joining us for our Commencement ceremony today.
It is now my privilege to present our master’s degree graduates of the Gettysburg College Class of 2025!
Congratulations!