The problem with the dedicatory address
Sixty-plus years of misconceptions corrected in a new critical edition
At the dedication of George Pepperdine College on September 21, 1937, George Pepperdine delivered his dedicatory address to an audience that included the mayor of Los Angeles, the governor of California, and two thousand well-wishers. The speech he read that day has become the most highly regarded speech in the history of the university—no small feat for the auto parts salesman whose posthumous competition has come to include many celebrated orators and more than one PhD in rhetoric.
The founder’s speech has been celebrated for the entirety of this institution’s history, from the first issue of The Graphic, where it appears on the front page, to the annual Founder’s Day convocation, where it is recited every year. When people need a reminder of what Pepperdine is all about, they often turn to the dedicatory address: it is quoted in inaugural addresses, in yearbooks, in speeches to the faculty and to the Board of Regents, in biographies of the founder, and in histories of the university. But there’s a problem with the dedicatory address.
To be clear, the problem isn’t what some recent events would make you believe. The version of the speech read at Founder’s Day in 2021 featured some modifications to the original language. Some of the founder’s phrases—“conservative, fundamental Christian supervision,” “strict Christian living,” and “Fundamental Christian leadership”—were replaced with language more agreeable to squeamish moderns: “thoughtful, disciplined Christian supervision,” “authentic Christian living,” and “disciplined Christian leadership.”
The 2021 revisions also disapproved of the founder’s use of masculine forms where the sex of the referent is not at issue—for instance, “the heart of man” was changed to “the hearts of men and women” and “extend his Kingdom among the children of men” was changed to “extend his Kingdom in the world.” These changes were accompanied by a small note in the program announcing that “minor modifications” had been made to the text of the original.
Following a minor outcry from the campus community, president Jim Gash apologized for authorizing the changes: “I have come to believe that the better approach would be to set the context in advance of its reading, rather than modifying the text itself. This was an error in judgment on my part, and one that I will not repeat. For the remainder of my presidency, and hopefully into the indefinite future, the Dedicatory Address will be read in its original form each Founder’s Day.”1
In my estimation, Gash was right to walk back the changes for the 2022 celebration of Founder’s Day, where the original text was read once again. If we can expect accuracy in quotation anywhere, surely we can expect it at a university. That’s what made it all the more galling when the 2021 version with its modifications was read again by mistake at Founder’s Day in 2023, with a prefatory note that the original would be read “verbatim.” Gash later apologized for the mix-up, telling one faculty committee that all copies of the revised version would be deleted.2
But as I have said, the 2021 modifications are not my main problem with the dedicatory address. That’s because the lack of care that led to the wrong script being used at Founder’s Day in 2023 seems to me to have characterized the majority of the institution’s interactions with the text of the speech over the past sixty-plus years.
In the remainder of this essay, I’d like to persuade you of a conclusion that may seem unlikely: If my reading of the archival sources is correct, Pepperdine’s dedicatory address has been misquoted by nearly everyone who has written about it for over sixty years, and not just by one word here or one line there. I’m talking about careful historians, admirers of George Pepperdine, and devoted evangelists of the university’s cause, all getting the words of the dedicatory address wrong in a major way.
How can this be?
To answer that, we need to understand the publication history of the speech. The university’s archive preserves a typescript of the speech on onion skin, titled “Address.” I don’t know of any reason to suppose it’s the very copy Mr. Pepperdine read from on the podium that day, but it seems possible. It shows signs of having been folded into sixths, as if to fit in a pocket.
The first published version of the speech (that I’m aware of) appears on the front page of the first issue of The Graphic, dated October 20, 1937, where it is titled “Founder’s Address.” The transcript matches the onion skin’s version, except that the newspaper has fixed some typos in the original and also introduced new typos for good measure. Together with the onion skin, this is the most authoritative record of what Mr. Pepperdine said that day. There is footage from the dedication ceremony, but it is a silent film and too brief to allow for a reconstruction of the founder’s speech. When the speech is recited at Founder’s Day, the version that is read matches this text (with the exceptions discussed above).
But here’s the significant fact about these two sources: they would have been difficult to access for most interested parties until relatively recently. Thanks to Pepperdine Libraries’ digital archives, you can read both versions online from anywhere with an internet connection. But for most of Pepperdine’s history, if you didn’t have a copy of The Graphic’s first issue, and if you weren’t in possession of what may be the founder’s own copy of the speech, you would have had a hard time figuring out what was said with much certainty. My guess is that this is the route by which misconceptions about the text of the speech would enter the published record. And enter they did.
Before George Pepperdine’s death in 1962, a biography was published, titled Faith Is My Fortune. In the section on the college’s dedication, the biography quotes much of the version from The Graphic, as reproduced in a 1948 history by Norvel Young, but it also includes several other paragraphs of dubious origin which it attributes to the speech.3 I have managed to trace some of these lines to the George Pepperdine College Bulletin of June 1937, which features a section titled “Founder’s Statement.” Confusingly, the Founder’s Statement in the bulletin does contain some lines that appear (slightly modified) in the earliest versions of the speech, but we shouldn’t confuse the two. The Founder’s Statement was written months earlier as an advertisement for the college, and we don’t have good reason to believe that it was read at the dedication ceremony.
The biography’s account also includes some lines I have not been able to trace, including a list of subjects the founder expected the college to teach. These lines are not present in the onion skin or in the Founder’s Statement from the 1937 bulletin, nor have I identified their origin. The other way the biography’s account of the speech differs from the original is that the biography omits several paragraphs, including the first and last, where the speech makes explicit reference to the dedication of the new campus.
To be totally clear, I’m not suggesting that the biography misattributes to Mr. Pepperdine words that he wouldn’t have endorsed, nor even words that he didn’t say—just that it attributes to the speech words that we don’t have any reason to believe were uttered at the dedication ceremony.
But because the biography was printed and distributed, it was more easily accessible to people interested in Pepperdine’s history than the earlier sources, so its version of the dedicatory address quickly became the one people consulted.
So when the 1963 yearbook wanted to add a section recounting the dedicatory address, it quoted from the biography, attributing to the speech lines that are not in the earliest sources.4 When another biography of Mr. Pepperdine was published in 1976 (this one confusingly titled Faith Was His Fortune), the misconception was repeated.5 When Crest of a Golden Wave, the fiftieth anniversary history of the university, was published, it also quoted the biography’s mistaken lines.6 And president Bill Banowsky’s memoir repeats the myth again, citing the first biography.7 Even the founder’s widow, Helen Pepperdine, was prompted by the biography to misremember the speech she heard in 1937.8
All these sources and more contributed to the myth, until it seemed to be the truth. It’s easy enough to see how this could have happened, but I don’t understand why it hasn’t been corrected before (to my knowledge). In Quest for Distinction, his 2016 history of Pepperdine, David Baird summarizes the dedicatory address in a way that agrees with the earliest sources, but he cites one of the biographies and makes no mention of the textual problem.9
I have spent so much space here detailing the extent of this misconception in order to support one point: this most loved of all speeches in the history of Pepperdine has not been taken seriously enough since the death of the founder for anyone (as far as I know) to establish in even a casual publication the text of the speech according to a full accounting of its historical sources!
The main exception to this carelessness has been the text read annually at the Founder’s Day convocation, which—recent modifications aside—has typically followed the earliest sources (at least as far back as I can tell without inspecting all the archival programs). Viewed one way, however, the accuracy of the Founder’s Day script makes the general confusion about the speech’s text more troubling, since the people doing the misquoting in print should have noticed that the passages they wrongly quoted were missing from the annual recitation.
In other words, there are two problems: (1) the need for an authoritative text of the speech, and (2) the general lack of awareness of this need. If more writers had been aware of the textual problem posed by the speech as it has sometimes been printed, it would not have been printed so incorrectly for so long.
In fairness, I should note that Pepperdine’s website publishes two different versions of the address, both based on early sources, but both with dubious emendations. The version on the About Us page (published c. 2022) is evidently based on the onion skin, preserving some but not all of its typos and fiddling with some of its capitalization. The version in the editorial style guide, apparently created for the 2005 Founder’s Day program, seems to have been based on the Graphic’s version, but it makes some (I think) unjustified changes, not all of which seem to have made intentionally.
A critical edition of George Pepperdine’s dedicatory address
In the space that follows, I will provide a critical edition of the dedicatory address, relying most heavily on the earliest sources but showing in the footnotes where later editions have differed in a fat apparatus criticus with many singularia. In creating this edition of the speech, I am attempting to supply a definitive text for the dedicatory address with emendations only where necessary for consistency and clarity. The creation of any such edition requires the exercise of judgment—there is no neutral way to adjudicate a textual crux. All I can do is give my best guess and offer you, my reader, the information necessary to make your own judgment.
Sigla
In the footnotes to the critical edition below, I use these symbols to represent the following sources of the address:
O: George Pepperdine, “Typed copy of George Pepperdine's Dedicatory Address from 1937,” George Pepperdine Family papers, Pepp. Univ. Special Collections and University Archives (“the onion skin”)
G: George Pepperdine, “Founder’s Address,” The Graphic, 20 Oct. 1937: 1
H: M. Norvel Young, A History of Colleges Established and Controlled by Members of the Churches of Christ, 1949: 193–94
F: Richard L. Clark and Jack W. Bates, Faith Is My Fortune, 1959: 183
P: “From the Founder’s Statement,” Promenade 1963: 6
Y: Bill Youngs, Faith Was His Fortune, 1976: 209
C: Crest of a Golden Wave, ed. Jerry Rushford, 1987: viii, 1
E: “Pepperdine University Editorial Style Guide,” text of the address from 2005, published Sept. 2022: 98–99
S: Modifications as read in 2021 by Dee Anna Smith
A: “George Pepperdine's Dedicatory Address,” About Us page, pepperdine.edu, published c. 2022
Critical edition
ADDRESS10
What we say here today in the dedication of these buildings is of very little importance, but the work which will be done through the days and years and generations to come will11 be of very great importance if that work is guided by the hand of God.What I mean by the statement “guided by the hand of God”12 is that God’s spirit working through his Holy Word, the Bible, shall influence and control the lives of each and every member of the faculty13 to such an extent14 that he15 will spread Christian influence among the students.
America and the world need Christianity. Yes, they need knowledge, culture, education, but they need Christ even more. The heart of man16 usually grows to be perverse17 unless trained by the influence of God’s Word. If we educate a man’s18 mind and improve his19 intellect with all the scientific20 knowledge men21 have discovered22 and do not educate the heart23 by24 bringing it under the influence of God’s Word, the man25 is dangerous. An educated man26 without religion27 is like a ship without a rudder or a powerful automobile without a steering gear.28 There is no life so much worth while29 in this world30 as the Christian life because it promotes the most happiness and contentment and the greatest promise of life31 hereafter.
Therefore, as my contribution to the well-being32 and happiness of this generation and those to follow,33 I am endowing this institution to help young men and women to prepare34 themselves for a life35 of usefulness in this competitive world and help36 them build a foundation of Christian character and faith which will survive the storms of life. Young men and young women37 in this institution38 will be given39 educational privileges equal to the best in the liberal arts, business administration,40 Bible training,41 and later, we hope, in preparing for various professions. All instruction is to be under conservative, fundamental42 Christian supervision with stress43 upon the importance of strict44 Christian living.
To the faculty members, each and every one of you, I am giving this solemn charge before this great company of our fellow citizens and before God—that45 you shall conduct your lives in such a manner as to be noble examples of Christian living in the presence of the students who are likely to be influenced more by what you do than by what you say.
Let us this day dedicate these buildings and this institution, The46 George Pepperdine College, to the cause of High Learning47 under the influence of Fundamental48 Christian leadership. And at the same time let us, the members of the Faculty and Board of Trustees,49 dedicate ourselves anew to the great cause of beautiful Christian living. In this way we shall do our small bit to glorify the name of God in the earth and extend his Kingdom50 among the children of men.51
If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy my essay on the textual history of Pepperdine’s affirmation statement:
Qtd. in Alec Matulka, “Pepp Changes Its Words But Can’t Change Its History,” The Graphic, 9 Nov. 2021.
See meeting minutes of the University Faculty Council, 22 Sept. 2023: 1.
Richard L. Clark and Jack W. Bates, Faith Is My Fortune: A Life Story of George Pepperdine (1959): 183–184. Clark and Bates seem to have derived some paragraphs from M. Norvel Young, A History of Colleges Established and Controlled by Members of the Churches of Christ, 1949: 193–94.
“From the Founder’s Statement,” Promenade 1963: 6.
Bill Youngs, Faith Was His Fortune: The Life Story of George Pepperdine (1976): 209–211.
Howard A. White, “California’s New College: 1937–1946,” Crest of a Golden Wave: A 50th Anniversary Pictorial History, ed. Jerry Rushford, (Pepp. Univ. Press: 1987): 1.
William S. Banowsky, The Malibu Miracle: A Memoir (Pepp. Univ. Press: 2010): 25.
Qtd. in Keith Sloane, “2037 A.D. Predictions: Pepperdine University,” Oasis, spring 1987: 24.
W. David Baird, Quest for Distinction: Pepperdine University in the 20th Century (Pepp. Univ. Press: 2016): 25–26.
ADDRESS ] O; FOUNDER’S ADDRESS G.
will ] emended G approved C E A; whill O.
“guided by the hand of God” ] O G C; “Guided by the hand of God,” E; “guided by the Hand of God,” A.
member of the faculty ] O G C E A; one of the faculty members S.
such an extent ] emended G approved C E S; such extent O A.
he ] O G C E A; they conjectured doubtfully S.
heart of man ] O G H F P Y E A; hearts of men and women S.
grows to be perverse ] O G H E A; grows perverse F P Y; grow to be perverse S.
a man’s ] O G H F P Y E A; the S.
his ] O G H F P Y E A; the S.
scientific ] emended G approved H F P Y E S A; scientifice O.
men ] O G H F P Y E A; we S.
discovered ] O G H F P E A; discovered, Y.
the heart ] O G H F P E A; his heart Y.
by ] O G H F P Y E A; in S.
the man ] O G E A; that man H F P Y; that person S.
man ] O G H F P Y E A; person S.
religion ] O G H F P E A; Christianity conjectured Y.
steering gear. ] O G H F P E A; steering wheel. conjectured Y.
worth while ] O G H F P A; I would prefer worthwhile already in E.
in this world ] O G H F P Y E A; omitted in S.
of life ] O G F P Y E A; of the life H.
well-being ] O G C E A; well being H F P Y.
those to follow, ] E; those to follow O G C A; those who follow, H; those that follow, F P Y.
to prepare ] O G H F P C E A; prepare Y.
a life ] O G H F P Y E A; lives S.
and help ] O G C E A; and to help H F P Y.
and young women ] G E; and young women, O A; and women H F P Y S.
this institution ] O G H E S A; this college F P Y.
will be given ] O G E S A; are to be given H F P Y.
business administration, ] conjectured rightly H approved E S; business administrations, O G A; omitted in F P Y.
Bible training, ] O G H F P E A; Bible training Y.
conservative, fundamental ] G H F P Y E; conservative, Fundamental O A; thoughtful, disciplined S.
with stress ] O G H F P E A; with the stress Y.
strict ] O G H F P Y E A; authentic S.
God—that ] G A; God -- that O; God-that E.
The ] O G A; the E.
High Learning ] O G A; higher learning conjectured E approved S.
Fundamental ] O G A; fundamental E; disciplined S.
Faculty and Board of Trustees, ] O G A; faculty and the board of trustees, E; Faculty and the Board of Regents, S.
his Kingdom ] I emend cf. “his Holy Word” supra; His Kingdom O A; his Kigdom G; His kingdom H E.
among the children of men. ] G H E; among the children of men. -- George Pepperdine O; among the children of men. –George Pepperdine A; in the world S.