James Carville Comes to Tacoma

Last night James Carville came to Tacoma. No he wasn’t here because he was on his way to Seattle. He came specifically to speak at UWT. Why? Because a man named Arthur Paulsen pledged $1 million to create the Arthur R. and Anna Mae Paulsen Endowed Visiting Chair in Public Affairs, an annual lecture series designed to bring provocative, nationally known speakers to the UW Tacoma campus. In 1939, University of Washington student and Tacoma native Arthur Paulsen heard a lecture that changed his life and became a “beacon of light” to Paulsen as he began a career in law and lifelong involvement in public affairs. Nearly 70 years later, he is now a retired judge and state legislator. His dream with his gift is that speakers of this caliber will spark public discourse, create future generations of informed citizens and inspire today’s students to change the world.

Well Mr. Paulsen, I am pleased to say that, at least for me, your dream was achieved.

James Carville is just as crazy in person as he seems on TV. Witty. Sarcastic. Intelligent. In your face. But he also gets it.

His talk was at first predictable. Some funny one liners about the Republicans before launching into the usual inspirational speech. He illustrated his life principle, “Fall seven times, get up eight”, with the story of Lincoln. How one of the greatest presidents in our history had more personal problems in his lifetime than all of the Real Housewives of Orange County combined. Yet he remains a beacon of success. All very good, but expected.

Then the evening changed. He talked about Tacoma. About how UWT is an amazing place to get an education. Not just because of the professors or the library. But because of where and what it is. “Think about this place 30 years ago,” he said. He spoke of the Tacoma of past. Prostitution. Drugs. Crime. He called us one of the biggest failure of urbanism in the Western United States. But how someone stood up and said “this will not stand.” Someone said, “We can do better”. You can take English, Math, or Psychology anywhere but here you have history. His message was that knowing the power of community and the ability to change things is the best lesson you can take away from your education here.

The real point of UWT is its place. It’s history.

He spoke of how those in Olympia are facing tough times, but they are nothing compared to where this school has come from. He spoke about how we, as students and a community, understand the transformative power of this university but those in Olympia may not. And he called on us, those who did not create UWT but are the next generation, to stand up for it and fight for it. To use politics as a means to change our world. He reminded us of the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act which created new universities in the midst of the Civil War and told us to not get discouraged in the midst of our current problems. Fall seven, stand eight.

For me, Mr. Carville managed to capture the most important lesson of my education at UWT. I came to Tacoma to attend UWT. I went to UWT for a degree. I left with an understanding of the power of community. The power of standing up for what you believe in. A fascination with our history and a love of this city.

And so Mr. Paulsen, thank you for this gift. It’s impact is only beginning.