Statement from Interim President Smeed on Violence at the U.S. Capitol

January 7, 2021

Dear Members of the Park University community:

Dating back to the Spanish-American War, generations of Park students and alumni have taken a solemn oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” We thank these brave men and women for their service to our country.

We believe in the rule of law. The violence we collectively witnessed yesterday (January 6, 2021) violates our ideals and values.

As we prepare to begin Spring 2021 classes, I invite Park students, faculty and staff to discuss openly inside and outside the classroom what we can learn from the tragic events and how we can work together to ensure, in the famous words of Abraham Lincoln, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” And, I remain optimistic that we all benefit when Park and other universities transform lives through education, as our mission guides us.

Today, and every day, we remain Park United.

Shane B. Smeed
Interim President
Park University