Sebelius Speaks to HKS

Family and public service are two points in the same continuum, newly-confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen G. Sebelius told the soon-to-be graduates of the Harvard Kennedy School yesterday.

The Secretary described the role of her own father, a former governor of Ohio, in teaching her that it was “more important to do something than to be something.”

Her address also emphasized the importance of “moral courage,” a value Sebelius said was also lauded by one of her heroes, Robert F. Kennedy.

Her address touched on the recent outbreak of H1N1 virus—a matter that her office must grapple with—noting that the disease was spreading from North America to the rest of the world and that HKS students’ expertise and insight are needed to combat this and other problems.

“The meeting of minds here has given you the tools to navigate almost any circumstance,” she told the assembly.

Sebelius urged the audience to remember Kennedy’s famous “ripples of hope” speech, in which he described the cumulative impact of all varieties of public service.

Students and their parents called Sebelius’s speech inspirational, adding that her description of her path to HHS gave them perspective on their own futures.

“I especially liked that she said you don’t need a high title or an office to serve,” said Charles Reichel, whose daughter Carlyn graduates today.

“I like it when a speaker thinks about her audience during a speech,” said Christina N. Peterson, whose daughter will earn a Masters in Public Policy this year.

“This was an audience of families, and she talked about the role of family in a lifetime of service,” Peterson added.

Dozens of flags hung from the walls of the Forum, each representing the home nation of at least one of this year’s Kennedy School graduates.

Ryutaro Murotami, a Japanese student who will receive a Masters in Public Policy said that he had been concerned that Sebelius would not properly reflect the school’s international character.

“I was reluctant to have someone from domestic politics, but it was a very comprehensive speech,” said Murotami, who said he will return to working at a Japanese government aid agency, a job he held prior to attending HKS.

Sebelius was introduced by her son, Edward K. Sebelius, who graduates from the Kennedy School today, and who drew laughs from the audience by recalling that his mother’s political successes had frequently coincided with his own academic achievements.

Sebelius is a Democrat who was twice elected governor of Kansas, a heavily Republican state. She helped draft a national bill of patients rights, and was described by HKS Dean David T. Elwood as “a pro-business democrat.”

She was confirmed as HHS secretary in April.

—Staff writer Sarah J. Howland can be reached at showland@fas.harvard.edu.