Father’s speech at the closing ceremony of the Fifteenth International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences with the theme “A Close-Knit Family and A Conference Come of Age”, held on November 27-30, 1986, at J. W. Marriott Hotel, Washington DC
Mr. chairman, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen:
It is already the final evening of our 15th ICUS conference, and I am standing before you to bid farewell for another year. It seems to me that the conference is too short, and these three days pass too quickly. I am sorry that we must bid farewell to one another again. I hope you all have enjoyed this conference as much as I have. I especially cherish the opportunity to meet many of you in person and know more about you.
As Dr. King stated in the opening remarks, we are indeed an ICUS family. We have developed a strong family bond, in which we can feel close and comfortable. For me, this is probably the greatest accomplishment of ICUS.
Now I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Dr. Mellanby, our chairman, for his outstanding and inspired leadership, not only in this year’s conference, but for the last three years. Dr. and Mrs. Mellanby are among the finest people I have ever met. They shall remain as my friends forever. Could you join with me in expressing our thanks to Dr. and Mrs. Mellanby?
I would also like to express my deepest thanks to the vice-chairmen, the honorary chairmen, and the organizing committee chairmen for their outstanding performances in this year’s conference. I have been told that the quality of the presentations has been the highest ever. These individuals deserve our generous thanks. Again, let us give them a round of applause.
But it is the participants who make the conference a success. I thank you for your participation and I am looking forward to seeing you again sometime in the future. Please, let us give ourselves a round of applause.
I am looking forward to working with Dr. Weinberg, our 16th ICUS conference chairman. Dr. Weinberg is a most distinguished and respected scientist. He shall be a tower of strength at our future conferences. Let us give our incoming chairman, Dr. Alvin Weinberg, a round of applause.
We are living in an incredible time. It is a time of many crises and a time of rapid change. In this country of the United States of America there are many difficulties-at the White House, in the Congress, and in other places. Around the world, we see crucial situations in Iran and Nicaragua, in the Philippines, and in South Korea. Who shall be the guiding light to the world in crisis? My answer is you. You, the scholars and intellectual leaders of the world. You are the people who will devise solutions to existing world problems.
There is a solution to every problem. We must have confidence in God and confidence in ourselves, and work diligently to find them. With bright vision, we can search for the solutions to our problems today. The survival of all of humanity is at stake. I would like to see ICUS as a foremost contributor to world problem solving. ICUS is now 15 years old; it is no longer a child. It is reaching its prime and is full of vitality. We certainly can make this ICUS movement one of the brightest spots in an uncertain world. We can make it an instrument of lasting peace. Long live ICUS!
We will convene our 16th ICUS conference in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. It will be a beautiful site for you to come to next year. I wish every one of you a safe journey back home. Have a joyous and blessed holiday season and a Happy New Year.
Thank you very much.