ATCHLEY ADDRESSES DECEMBER GRADS

Dr. William Atchley told Southeast Missouri State University graduates that Saturday's commencement was his third to attend at the university. "This one is the best," he said.

Atchley was speaker at the university's winter commencement held at the Show Me Center Saturday afternoon.

The university added 612 names to the rolls of more than 43,000 graduates after the ceremony.

Leading the undergraduates Saturday were Andrea G. Richardson-Hodges and Charlotte K. Westbrook, the 65th and 66th students to graduate with perfect 4.0 grade point averages in the history of the university.

Atchley is serving as interim president at Southeast.

He attended his first commencement in 1980 when his daughter graduated. He was commencement speaker in 1982 at the invitation of then president Bill Stacy and was again asked to be speaker this weekend.

Atchley said speaking at Southeast commencements is enjoyable for him because he started his higher education career at the university.

He is a native of Cape Girardeau and a graduate of Central High School. He attended Southeast Missouri State University, but transferred to Washington University and then the University of Missouri at Rolla where he earned his undergraduate and master's degrees.

Atchley served eight years as president of the University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif. and holds the title of president emeritus of Clemson University, where he served as president from 1979 to 1985.

He told the graduates that their past four years were "a piece of cake" compared to what lies ahead of them in the "real world."

The education students received at Southeast should prepare them to meet the challenges they will face, Atchley said.

"You do not have to accept your environment," he told the graduates. "You can change it."