On the occasion of his 70th birthday, the good people of Lausanne invited Baron Pierre de Coubertin to give a speech in the auditorium of their beloved university at the Palais de Rumine.  The Baron climbed the hilly streets of the city, entered the plaza in front of the beautiful Italianate citadel of higher learning, and prepared to make his remarks.  As always, despite the hidden hardships of his own life at the time, he sought to inspire his audience with a stirring challenge to lift their eyes to ever higher goals.  He used his own experience with the Olympic Games to posit the idea that anything is possible for those with the courage to see far and act firmly.  The address was delivered in December 1932 in advance of his birthday on New Year’s Day.

“Lift up those eyes, threatened with myopia by the slavery of specialization: do not be afraid of becoming long-sighted. Look towards the far horizons of nature and history. From these heights man draws his strength and motive-power.”

Photo: The University of Lausanne’s Palais de Rumine