Paul Newman wasn't only the commencement speaker Friday at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y. He was a proud husband and father who watched his wife and daughter receive bachelor's degrees.
Actress Joanne Woodward, who squeezed more than a decade of study into her busy professional life to receive her degree, drew applause from 285 graduates and more than 3,000 spectators when she kissed her blue-eyed husband before them.Newman peppered his 20-minute speech with anecdotes about his life and the creation of his salad dressing. He urged the crowd to pay attention to the spirit of community.
"Community happens the instant two like-minded individuals build something for someone else, address a grievance, take a risk," he said.
"The best thing you can give yourself is the gift of possibility and believing in the possibility of others," Newman said.
After daughter Clea Olivia Newman received her degree, Newman stood from his chair on the stage and gave her a hug and a kiss.
Two years ago, Lissy Newman, another daughter, received her degree from the small liberal arts college in Westchester County just north of New York.