University President Admits: I Copied Famous Commencement Speech Almost Word-for-Word

When the University of South Carolina’s president delivered his commencement address last week, he wowed students with an eloquent passage about perseverance and the importance of never giving up. The problem was that it was copied almost word-for-word from a much better and much more well-known speech. According to South Carolina newspaper The State, Robert Caslen admitted to failing to cite his direct inspiration—a famous 2014 speech given by retired Navy Adm. William McRaven at the University of Texas that was later turned into a bestselling book. In an email to students, Caslen reportedly wrote: “I am truly sorry. During my remarks in our weekend commencement ceremonies, I shared a well-known quote from Admiral William McRaven and failed to cite him as its original author and speaker... I was searching for words about resilience in adversity and when they were transcribed into the speech, I failed to ensure its attribution. I take full responsibility for this oversight.”