His dauntless courage has taught us two lessons. First, truth has moral force. Whether on issues of foreign policy, matters of resource disposition in our domestic life, or questions of constitutional balance, he has shown us that the truth is its own argument, and its own advocate. Second, he has taught us that speaking truth is compatible with speaking elegantly, powerfully, and with beauty. He was chosen the greatest orator in the United States Senate - perhaps as coveted a title as human ingenuity has devised.
Truth has beauty and grace because it has right.
It is because he has been so often right, so often and so consistently on the side of truth, that Dale Bumpers has spoken for so long with such grace and power. Therefore, Hendrix College today salutes a friend with whom we share much - dedication to the pursuit of truth and its spread, and friendship to democratic institutions.