Reflections of William David Tatum
Bringing Into Existence the Attainments of his Vision of Service to the – Gourdin (e) Tatum, Garvin, Clarke, and extended families:
Now to include the public square both domestic and foreign.
“Historic struggles are not things you engage in on the assumption that they will soon be over, but rather on the assumption that your actions will make things better, and your inaction will allow things to get worse.”
- Judith Shapiro
Inaugural Presidential Address
Barnard College, New York 2001
“You never become truly spiritual by sitting down and wishing to become so. You must undertake something so great that you cannot accomplish it unaided.”
Philip Brooks
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us. What we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
Albert Pine
On Heroes
“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.
Arthur Ashe (l943-1993)
On Vision
“I see that my steadfast desire is alone responsible for whatever progress or mastery I have made. The reality is always there, and is preceded by vision. And if one keeps looking steadily the vision crystallizes into fact or deed…one should not be worrying about the degree of ‘success’ obtained by each and every effort, but only concentrate on maintaining the vision, keep it pure and simple.”
Henry Miller (l891-1980)
On Discovery
Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.”
Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi (l893-1986)
“To be of service to others is the greatest freedom all”
William David Tatum (l934 -------)
One Definition of Grace
“Those blessed and inexplicable moments when someone did something for someone else, saved a life, bestowed a gift,
gave something beyond what was required by circumstance.”
Thomas Cahill – The Gift Of The Jews
Doubleday