As one of the world's foremost leaders and philosophers, the Dalai Lama's three-day visit to UB brings new meaning to the title "distinguished speaker," and is a highlight among the influential individuals that have come to speak to the UB community since its inception.
After his speech Tuesday afternoon, the Dalai Lama will join the long list of speakers that have become a part of this university's guest speaker history.
Among the list is every US president since the mid-1970s, with the exception of Ronald Reagan.
"UB has been very active in bringing the world to the university," said Howard Wolf, professor in the English department, who came to UB in 1967. "This is a unique event. It is of appeal to the whole community."
Among Wolf's all-time favorite speakers is poet Allen Ginsberg. Wolf also recalled seeing American novelist and journalist Norman Mailer, who spoke to crowded audiences in 1963 and again in 1972. Upon his second visit, The Spectrum called him the "number one male chauvinist pig."
"He was one of the heroes of the liberationists left," Wolf said. "He spoke off the cuff. He was very quick on his feet."
SUNY Distinguished teaching professor in political science Claude Welch came to UB in 1964, and has regularly attended the speeches over the years. His favorite was Colin Powell, who appeared at UB in Sept. 1998 and again in Oct. 2005.
Another fan of Powell on campus is Dennis Black, vice president of student affairs.
"He totally disarmed the audience," Black said. "We got to know him as a person."
Bill Cosby was another of Welch's favorites, arriving 20 minutes before his speech time due to an ice storm that delayed his flight.
"He arrived on stage wearing a t-shirt and without supper," Welch said.
Cosby spoke about the need to recover American values.
"For so many of you students, you don't believe in yourselves, and that's your own fault," Cosby said. "You have to be sure of yourself to get up and do something. Being cocky is when you don't have anything to back it up."
Black has been attending lectures at UB since he was in high school in the late 1960s. His least favorite was recent visitor Donald Trump.
"A lot of hoopla and a lot of money, but not a lot of message," Black said.
Black recalled that Desmon M. Tutu, who came in Jan. 1989, was the first international figure to come to UB that was of interest to the entire community. Tutu, an Anglican Archbishop of South Africa and an outspoken opponent of apartheid, spoke to a standing-only crowd of 11,000 for the public fee of $1. Then UB President Steven Sample introduced him as "one of the greatest leaders of the twentieth century."
Tutu told the crowd, "Apartheid is a Frankenstein. You don't reform a Frankenstein, you destroy a Frankenstein."
Black also saw Ross Perot speak in Oct. 1992 during his presidential campaign.
"He was just as argumentative then as they portray him on SNL," Black said.
Fimmaker Ken Burns was amongst Black's favorites.
"(He) was perfect for a college environment," Black said. "He not only talked about making films, but he was able to talk about the people in them."
The speaker to draw the largest crowd to date was former US President Bill Clinton, with a sold out crowd in April 2002. Dennis Black cited him as having the best speech to date.
"Love him or dislike him, he stood there for an hour and a half with no notes and gave a compelling, almost sermon, on how students can help each other and make a difference in the world," Black said.
As a whole, Black said that the speakers from the media were no different from their personalities on screen. Tom Brokaw, who came in May 1989, was cut and dry. Sidney Poitier, who came in March 2001, gave a performance and acted out his speech.
"In the final analysis, it doesn't matter how many times you've been knocked down," Poitier said. "What matters is what you do with your time after you get up."
Conan O'Brien, who comes in second for the largest crowd, came to UB last year in April 2006. He used Dennis Black as a pawn in his comedy act when addressing the crowd.
"I didn't know what I was getting into," Black said. "He needed a straight guy and there's nobody straighter than me."
William Ruckelshaus came to UB in Nov. 1973 fresh from being fired as assistant attorney general under US President Nixon after the Watergate scandals. He spoke to a crowd of over 1,000 students, who spilled over onto the front steps of Norton Hall on South campus.
"If people speak loudly enough, with enough clarity and conviction, they can move any branch of government," Ruckelshaus told the audience.
In April 1998 author Maya Angelou spoke at UB telling the audience, "Young men and women, you need to know that someone was there before you, someone was lost before you, ignored before you, and yet, miraculously, someone has survived. Survived with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style."
Jane Goodall, who studied chimpanzees for over 30 years in Africa, came in Oct. 2001.
"If we feel it's not right to be concerned about the environment or animals in view of this terrible human suffering, then when the terrorist threat is over, as it will be, there will be no planet earth," Goodall told the audience.
Orie Hebard, a 1944 alumnus, has been attending lectures at UB for the past 60 years with her late husband, an alumnus of the UB Law School. She said she saw Frank Sinatra in the student union on South Campus as an undergraduate, before he made it big.
Her least favorite distinguished speaker was Katie Couric, whom she said was a disappointment.
Hebard loves returning to UB and is excited about seeing the Dalai Lama at the interfaith service at 4 p.m. on Monday.
"I think that Buddhism with a love and a passion is where the world ought to be," she said.
CNN news anchor and UB alumnus Wolf Blitzer came to UB in Oct. 2003.
Blitzer told the receptive audience, "I will be forever grateful to this university for giving me the opportunity to learn and go forth from this campus and to aspire to great things."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
