U.S. Sen. Bob Corker speaks with students from the Gary W. Rollins College of Business several months ago.
Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies
When: Saturday, May 3.
9 a.m.: College of Arts and Sciences & College of Engineering and Computer Science
1 p.m.: Gary W. Rollins College of Business & College of Health, Education and Professional Studies
Where: UTC’s McKenzie Arena, 720 E. Fourth St.
Information: https://blog.utc.edu/news/2019/04/commencement-last-minute-questions-and-answers/
Master something, be bold in what you undertake, and give back.
Those are the three pieces of advice Bob Corker, former U.S. senator and Chattanooga mayor, plans to share with the class of 2019 in undergraduate commencement ceremonies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Saturday.
“While some are older in life—returning to college to complete a degree—and many are young, what everyone there to support them has in common is wanting to see them launch well,” Corker said. “The graduates have had the great privilege of getting a college degree, and they’ve had to work for it, and that can give them opportunities others may not have.
“To maximize those opportunities, I encourage them to master something, to immediately make themselves indispensable. That creates a life of independence. As soon as I got out of college, I learned how to build a building. After that, give me a set of blueprints and a telephone and I could build a shopping mall. From that, I had both a degree and a skill.”
In 1986—a decade before Corker was tapped to serve as Tennessee’s Commissioner of Finance and Administration—he helped found Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, a nonprofit that helped more than 10,000 families secure affordable housing through low-interest home loans and personal training in basic home maintenance.
He said he was inspired by the opportunity to meet Maryland property developer James Rouse when Rouse spoke in Chattanooga in the mid-1980s and urged the community to reclaim its inner-city neighborhoods. From that experience, Corker said, he learned “to think more boldly about my life and the ventures I took on.
“And that’s why I tell young college graduates: ‘Be bold in what you undertake. Be bold in the plans you have. Think beyond what you might ordinarily and stretch yourself.’ ”
His third piece of advice—giving back—isn’t just for new graduates, Corker said.
“I used to tell young people who came to the U.S. Capitol and who came to see us that I don’t think there’s anything—from a secular sense—that gives people more purpose than giving back,” he said. “You can do that for your neighbors who have needs, classmates who have needs, and the community. That’s a part of what makes the country great and what gives individuals meaningful lives.”
At 25 years old with a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from UT Knoxville, Corker started a construction company with $8,000 in savings, and operations eventually expanded to 18 states. He sold the company in 1990 and went on to acquire two of the largest real estate companies in Chattanooga.
He was Tennessee Commissioner of Finance and Administration from 1994 to 1996; mayor of Chattanooga from 2001 to 2005; and one of Tennessee’s two U.S. senators from 2007 to 2018.
Since leaving the U.S. Senate—serving two terms was his original plan—Corker has been considering his next steps.
“Today, as we’re speaking, I’ve been out four months, exactly,” he said. “I’ve watched not a second of cable TV news since then, and that has been a very good thing. I would actually say to the parents tomorrow that I recommend it. It really does help your perspective in life.
“In this time I’ve done some business, and it’s been nice to get my adrenaline flowing in that regard. I’ve immersed myself in the community and have been very engaged since I got home, in catching up on things I missed over the last 12 years, even though I came home every weekend when I wasn’t traveling overseas or otherwise doing my job.
“I’ve tried to get a sense of what the next passion will be. I certainly don’t plan on retiring. I have a good sense of the opportunities that exist. I’m busy every day, but I do have time to think about the future, and I want whatever I do in my next phase to be approached in an intentional way.”
The past four months also have included a lengthy and prestigious list of public-speaking engagements for Corker, including at Time magazine’s 100 Summit in New York City last month and at Harvard University on Monday.
In June, he’s among the heavy hitters—including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, United Airlines CEO Oscar Muñoz and former Mexican President Vicente Fox—in the lineup at the annual Aspen Ideas Festival. The event bills itself as featuring leaders from around the globe who are accomplished at transforming ideas into action.
“One of the things I learned in business was the ability to create a vision and put the pieces in place to achieve it,” Corker said. “I was very fortunate at a young age to be a builder, and what do builders do? You begin with a vision for the building and then you put first things first. That understanding is very helpful in public arena.
“In many ways, that also goes back to my second main piece of advice to students: Have that bold vision. Even if you get just 80 percent of the way, you’re farther than you would be if your thinking was small.”
Corker said the near back-to-back speaking calendar winds up next week, and he’s eager to be at home in Chattanooga and to have ongoing and meaningful involvement with UTC.
“It’s been fun, and I’m thankful people are interested, but I’m looking forward to being at UTC and back in my hometown,” he said.
“We’ve been real involved with UTC, from when I was mayor and as we’ve begun to transition back to private life. I’m not only glad to be there as part of the final phase of this period of time, I’m glad to be as engaged with UTC as we are. I think that’s going to continue in a meaningful way, and I look forward to tomorrow as a part of that.”
