In a flurry of festivities and in the company of well-known and respected individuals from around the nation, Rex E. Lee officially became BYU's 10th president during inauguration events on Oct. 27.
During the inaugural convocation, President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency, officially installed Pres. Lee and charged him to reach for heavenly help, strive for excellence, and teach by the Spirit.President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, conducted the convocation and Byron R. White, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, delivered the inaugural address.
Others attending were Elder Boyd K. Packer, Elder Neal A. Maxwell and Elder Dallin H. Oaks, all members of the Council of the Twelve; Bishop Henry B. Eyring of the Presiding Bishopric; Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the First Quorum of the Seventy; Barbara W. Winder, Relief Society general president; and Ardeth G. Kapp, Young Women general president. Elder Oaks and Elder Holland are the two immediate past presidents of BYU.
Also marching in the inaugural procession were government leaders, including Utah Gov. Norman H. Bangerter; community and civic representatives; as well as representatives from 167 universities and 18 learned societies.
"Pres. Rex E. Lee comes to his new and lofty appointment after a prayerful and diligent search by members of the board of trustees," explained President Monson in his charge to the new president. "Outstanding in his chosen field, blessed with a brilliant mind and the capacity to lead, Pres. Lee has coupled with his scholarship abiding faith and complete trust in the Lord. The best was sought. The best was found."
President Monson challenged BYU's new president and his wife, Janet, to trust in the Lord and reach out to Him. "Since you are now on the Lord's errand, you are entitled to the Lord's help," he counseled. "Remember this truth as vexing challenges confront you - as indeed they will. Seek confirmation of the Spirit in the appointment of those who serve with you. Utilize the marvelous reasoning powers with which you have been so abundantly blessed. Do not forget that a man never stands taller than when he is upon his knees."
Next, President Monson urged Pres. Lee to strive for excellence, remembering that an organization is but the lengthened shadow of its leader. "When one has had a glimpse of excellence, he is never again content with mediocrity. You can lift your faculty and the student body to higher attainments and loftier levels of competence."
And finally, teaching by the Spirit is essential, President Monson noted. "Students taught by the Spirit and motivated by testimony can and should excel in their chosen fields. Let those who come under your influence, Pres. Lee, expand the borders of science, increase the acquisition of knowledge and perfect the ability to live, to love, to serve."
Following President Monson's charge, Pres. Lee responded. (See separate story on page 3.)
Justice White, in his address, said the job of a university president is "tough and many-faceted," but Pres. Lee is up to the challenge, "I know considerable about this man, Rex Lee," he explained. "He was my law clerk during the 1963-1964 term of the Supreme Court. . . . He was very hard-working and extremely reliable, and he was of great help on a daily basis."
But above and beyond those assets, Pres. Lee had other qualifications for the clerkship. "Appellate judging on the whole is an interesting job but sometimes it gets to be a dull grind," noted Justice White. "I therefore interview chiefly to determine who might be the most interesting and fun to have around." The audience chuckled when Justice White observed that Pres. Lee fit that description, as well as having "good moves on the basketball court and a fine jump shot."
Justice White spoke of the challenges and responsibilities of education. "In this great land of ours, philosophy, religion and politics coalesced, at least in the modern era, to make the individual their common cause," he explained. "They have placed him at the center of our cultural universe. Man's moral and religious salvation and the nurturing and development of his powers have become our major preoccupation. Hence the central role of education.
"The notion is that quite apart from utilitarian considerations, giving everyone, without regard to race, color, or creed, the opportunity to develop their talents to the maximum extent will surely bring them satisfaction and happiness. Our enormous investment in developing our human resources evidences our dedication to this end. And we believe that education for this purpose is a lifelong process."
There are challenges in today's society, Justice White observed. Drugs, crime, economy, world competitiveness, racial intolerance, self-sufficiency, and environment are only a few of the problems that the next and succeeding generations will have to deal with. "And if they are to be effectively dealt with, if we are to avoid the dangers to our system and standard of living, I suspect that a whole new order of intellect and insight will be necessary."
Pres. Lee is "up to the job" and challenges of providing that intellect and insight, Justice White concluded.
Other inauguration activities throughout the day included a luncheon, where Jon M. Huntsman, president of Huntsman Chemical, spoke. Also during the luncheon, BYU's Young Ambassadors performed a special program, which included a slide presentation highlighting Pres. Lee's life and accomplishments.
An afternoon reception gave guests, students, faculty and staff an opportunity to offer congratulations to the newly installed president and his family.
Inauguration events were capped off with a ball where Pres. and Sister Lee led the grand march and started the dance off by dancing for a few moments alone to the strains of the Viennese Waltz.