Hillary Rodham Clinton
U.S. Senator from New York; Yale Law School Class of 1973
In her Class Day address at Yale's 300th Commencement, Hillary Rodham Clinton encouraged graduates to pursue their dreams and persevere through setbacks, sharing personal stories about her time at Yale, her Senate campaign, and her work for underprivileged children. She discussed public service, children's issues, and the global AIDS crisis, urging students to care for those in need. She also included lighthearted moments, including advice that 'hair matters,' and delivered good wishes on behalf of her husband Bill Clinton.
Key moments
- 01 Urging graduates to 'dare to compete, dare to care, dare to dream and dare to love'
- 02 Sharing the story of choosing Yale over Harvard law school
- 03 Calling on students to help combat the global AIDS crisis
- 04 Joking that 'hair matters' and declining to wear a funny hat
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Hillary Rodham Clinton at Yale, 2001
A 300th Commencement Class Day address about daring to compete, care, dream, and love through public service, perseverance, children's advocacy, and global responsibility.
Speech arc
- 01Old Campus
Opening move
- 02300th Commencement
Speech beat
- 03Yale Law
Speech beat
- 04Compete
Speech beat
- 05Care
Speech beat
- 06Dream
Speech beat
- 07Children
Speech beat
- 08Love
Final charge
Return: A Yale Law alumna returns with a public charge
Clinton speaks as a newly elected U.S. senator and Yale Law graduate, connecting personal formation to the responsibilities of public life.
Yale Law
Her story of choosing Yale over Harvard makes institutional fit part of the address's personal memory.
Senate
The Class Day platform meets a career newly centered in elected office.
Return
The 300th Commencement gives the speech a heightened sense of continuity and public ritual.
Clinton speaks as a newly elected U.S.
senator and Yale Law graduate, connecting personal formation to the responsibilities of public life.
Formula: Dare becomes a four-part ethic
The remembered charge asks graduates to dare to compete, care, dream, and love, making ambition inseparable from service and emotional courage.
Compete
Competition means resilience through campaigns, setbacks, and tests of public judgment.
Care
Achievement is redirected toward people whose needs are easy for institutions to overlook.
Dream
Dreaming remains practical when joined to persistence and public commitment.
The remembered charge asks graduates to dare to compete, care, dream, and love, making ambition inseparable from service and emotional courage.
Service: Children and global health widen the horizon
The address moves from personal stories into social need, including work for underprivileged children and attention to the global AIDS crisis.
Children
Children's issues make service concrete: policy is measured in vulnerable lives.
AIDS
The global AIDS crisis expands the charge beyond national comfort and campus celebration.
Humor
Light jokes, including the famous hair aside, keep the speech human while staying serious.
The address moves from personal stories into social need, including work for underprivileged children and attention to the global AIDS crisis.
• Key takeaways •
Ambition needs care
Connects to public service.
Setbacks can deepen service
Connects to perseverance.
Public life is personal
Connects to children's issues.
Children make policy concrete
Connects to global health.
Love belongs in leadership
Connects to dreams.
Closing charge
Clinton's final charge combines toughness and tenderness: pursue big public goals, absorb setbacks, and keep love in the definition of success.
Persevere without losing care
Persist
Setbacks are not detours from service; they are part of the training.
Serve
Use Yale preparation to improve conditions for people beyond Yale.
Love
Let affection and solidarity survive ambition's pressure.
Clinton's final charge combines toughness and tenderness: pursue big public goals, absorb setbacks, and keep love in the definition of success.
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Transcript
No official full transcript has been located yet. If you know of one, suggestions are welcome.
Provenance
Yale Daily News recap verified live (2026-06-26); full transcript not located
Class Day, 300th Commencement, May 20 2001. 'Dare to compete, dare to care, dare to dream and dare to love.' Distinct from her 2018 Yale Class Day address (separate record). Full transcript not located. Category: Politics
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