Robert F. Smith, a billionaire who is CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a software and technology investment firm, was selected to give the commencement address and receive an honorary degree at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
During his address, Smith stated that being on the bus to success is not enough. “You want to own it, you want to drive it, and you want to pick up as many people as you can along the way.” He then added, ““I’m putting some fuel into your bus.”
Smith told the graduates that he would commit up to $40 million dollars to eliminate the student debt of all 396 graduates of the Class of 2019. Some graduates reported that they had student debt of as much as $200,000. If the total reaches $40 million, it will be the largest gift in the college’s history and one of the largest gifts ever to a historically Black college.
A video of Robert F. Smith commencement address may be viewed below.
