Tralance Addy '69

Executive director of Stanford's Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies

“In sorting out the role of Swarthmore in my personal and professional growth, I have found it helpful to recall some important events and turning points -some exhilarating, and some painful. To begin with, Swarthmore is, after all, the place of my first real introduction to America, bringing the America I observed on campus into confrontation with my views of America shaped by years of Hollywood movies and propaganda from U.S. government publications exported to developing countries around the world. It is the place where, for the first time, I discovered, during an introductory philosophy course taught by Hans Oberdiek, that what I thought and had to say was not only distinctive but of interest to others, and worthy of serious consideration. It is the place where I made the liberating discovery that while I had a lot to learn, I also had something worthwhile to contribute to the community. It is the place where, through humanities courses I never would have had the chance to take in Ghana, I came to realize that simply pursuing my interests in science and engineering was not going to be sufficient for me.” More