Veterans Day message

Dear Stanford community,

This Veterans Day, we remember and honor all of the members of our Stanford community who have answered the nation’s call to serve.

Our community includes 95 military veterans, 31 dependents of veterans, and 10 ROTC students studying as undergraduate or graduate students or as visiting fellows at the Center for International Security and Cooperation and the Hoover Institution. Their service and valor inspires us, and their unique perspectives contribute to our campus community. We also honor the many alumni who have served and continue to serve today.

In a typical year, we would recognize Veterans Day by opening Memorial Auditorium, where community members and visitors could pay tribute to 486 servicemembers affiliated with Stanford who died in service to our country. They are remembered on plaques inside the lobby. While Memorial Auditorium is closed this year, wreaths will be placed outside the building and in front of the Spanish American War plaque in Memorial Court to honor their service and sacrifice.

Memorial Court and Memorial Auditorium are, themselves, tributes to veterans and symbols of the esteem our University holds for them. Jane Stanford established Memorial Court in 1900 to recognize Stanford veterans of the Spanish-American War. In 1937, the university community dedicated Memorial Auditorium to members of the community who died in World War I.

Every day, but on Veterans Day in particular, these spaces help us remember those who have served and honor their patriotism and sacrifice. Today, we pay tribute to all veterans and thank them for the peace and liberty we enjoy in this country.

With gratitude and appreciation,

Marc Tessier-Lavigne