Journalist Fareed Zakaria Addresses Sarah Lawrence Graduates; Alumna Barbara Walters Donates Archives to College

May 28, 2014: International affairs journalist Fareed Zakaria delivered the 86th commencement address on Friday, May 23, at Sarah Lawrence College. Having related his own journey from young science student in India to critically acclaimed host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, he spoke of the value of a liberal arts education in an ever-changing world to the 330 graduating seniors who earned a bachelor of arts degree in liberal arts and 130 graduate students receiving master's degrees.

"I now realize that the most valuable thing I picked up in college and graduate school was not a specific set of facts or a piece of knowledge but rather how to acquire knowledge." He went on, "At its essence, a liberal education is an education to free the mind from dogma, from controls, from constraints. It is an exercise in freedom," Zakaria told the graduates.

Prior to Zakaria's address, the graduates and some 2,000 family members and friends attending the commencement exercises were treated to a surprise appearance by Barbara Walters, who announced that she is donating her archive of tapes, photographs, and papers to her alma mater.

Walters retired from her TV show The View this month. One of the world's most accomplished journalists and a true pioneer for women in news broadcasting, Walters has long been a supporter of Sarah Lawrence College. She recently donated $1 million for student scholarships. In 2005 she donated funds for an art gallery, in the visual arts center, named in her honor. In 2001 she was the college's commencement speaker and was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

President of the college Karen Lawrence said that the college will establish the Barbara Walters Archive: "We are thrilled by this new gift from our extraordinary alumna so that her legacy can be shared with students, scholars, and beyond."

Joking about having the trailblazing journalist precede him on the podium, Zakaria said he would be remembered as the man who spoke after Barbara Walters at the graduation ceremony.

Acknowledging the underpinnings of their profession and one of the hallmarks of a Sarah Lawrence education, Zakaria spoke of the importance of writing.

"Whatever you will do in life, the ability to write clearly, cleanly, and . . . quickly will prove to be an invaluable skill. . . . Whether you are a novelist, a businessman, a marketing consultant, or a historian, writing forces you to make choices and bring clarity and order to your ideas."

In her introduction to the speaker, President Lawrence remarked: "It is appropriate on the occasion of our commencement that we welcome a speaker who has the ability to translate complex political issues into sharp and nuanced prose."

Pictured here (rotating): Commencement speaker Fareed Zakaria and Barbara Walters with Sarah Lawrence College president Karen Lawrence.

Photos courtesy Judith Schwartzstein, Director of Public Affairs, Sarah Lawrence College