№ 2011.009 — Dartmouth College — Commencement address

Conan O’Brien

Transcript

Conan O'Brien delivers a largely comedic commencement address filled with jokes about Dartmouth's traditions, rival Ivy League schools, and his own career, before transitioning to a sincere message. He reflects on his public professional disappointment in 2010 after leaving The Tonight Show, arguing that failure and disappointment can lead to clarity, reinvention, and originality. He advises graduates that their dreams will inevitably change and closes with his own maxim about working hard and being kind.

Key moments

01 Extended comedic riffs on Dartmouth, its motto, and rival Ivy League schools
02 The mock 'Conan Doctrine' of absurd policy proposals
03 Reflection on his 2010 career disappointment and leaving The Tonight Show
04 Argument that failure to become one's ideal defines and reinvents a person, ending with 'work hard, be kind'

Transcript

The full transcript is hosted by the original publisher. Commencement Archive links to the source rather than republishing copyrighted text.

Read the full transcript at source →

Provenance

Imported from Open Commencement DB

Open Commencement DB transcript; not independently verified against the original recording