St. Lawrence as “Soul Place”
Remarks from honorary doctor of humane letters recipient Mike Ranger '80, P'17 at Commencement 2025
At Commencement, longtime trustee and devoted Laurentian Mike Ranger ’80, P’17 was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his exceptional leadership and decades of service to St. Lawrence.
A government major, Ranger built a distinguished 40-year career in finance while also championing nonprofit and educational causes. Ranger and his wife, Virginia, have been steadfast champions of the University and its mission. Here are his lightly edited remarks in which he shared with the Class of 2025 what being a Laurentian for Life has meant to him.
Commencement 2025 Remarks
June 1st, 1980. I occupied a seat much like yours, but on the floor of Appleton Arena, to receive a BA from St. Lawrence University and complete my college experience. Like many of you, I had a transcendent experience over my four years at St. Lawrence. At that moment in 1980, in Appleton, listening to (recently elected U.S. Senator) Daniel Patrick Moynihan speak about the need for a meaningful non-proliferation nuclear arms agreement with the Soviet Union and its impact in the 1980 Presidential election, all I felt was dread.
What most concerned me at that moment was the fact that I had not really slept in many days and had just experienced a most successful and rousing senior week, so simple survival of the ceremony was my goal. So, I will be brief.
Many Commencement addresses are focused on how-tos. Things like how to have a successful career, find happiness, influence world peace, and such. Fortunately, I will be doing none of that.
My lived experiences since graduating 45 years ago are more historical than relevant. For example, all the New York City financial firms for which I worked no longer exist. Not one. So, fortunately, there will be no life advice from me given that track record.
Instead, I will focus on our shared St. Lawrence experience and what it has meant to me, and how it shaped who I am. We have all heard the expression “soulmate,” as in one will find a “soulmate” in their lives that will be the perfect fit and will help shape who you are. Recently, I came across the concept of a “soul place,” defined as a place that makes you feel different in a very particular and positive way than any place else. A place that makes you more fulfilled, more grateful, more optimistic, more included, and maybe just more human. Many times, it is a place such as an ocean beach, an ADK lake, the St. Lawrence River, a garden, or just being connected to nature.
For me, St. Lawrence University is that place, the “soul place.” Clearly, it is physically attractive in its own unique setting, nestled in the North Country. All this natural beauty is great, but what is most powerful for me as a “soul place” is the strong sense of community and the close human bonds we all create and foster as Laurentians.
When you really stop to think about it, the foundation of everything you need to flourish and prosper is here with you today in Newell Field House. Your parents and family, beloved faculty members, coaches and administrators, your friends and classmates, and a network of alumni represented here today by Alumni Council members and trustees on stage here with me. The ingredients have not only been well-chosen but have been perfected over time to produce this special force you take with you as you evolve from an undergraduate to a
“Laurentian for Life.”
My SLU experience was filled with a series of adventures, choices, and wonder that fostered curiosity, the willingness to thrill to challenges, and to build strong relationships, all in the pursuit of doing as well as I could. I have carried a mantra in my head throughout, of doing well but not at the expense of others. I have worked on this my entire life.
Late September, my senior year, my academic advisor met with me to advise me not to pursue law school. Shocked, I asked why. He responded, “Your attention to detail is not very detailed.”
Time for a plan B.
A few weeks later, a SLU alumnus was on campus to interview students for an internship at an NYC investment bank. It worked out, and I joined four classmates for a month in New York City. That month-long growing experience gave me the confidence to pursue working and living in NYC. Which, in fact, was a big deal and put me squarely outside my comfort zone, having been born and raised in Buffalo. After an on-campus interview with another SLU alumnus, I was invited to a day of final interviews for a bank executive training program.
Late February of senior year, I flew to NYC for those final interviews and went to check into the Biltmore Hotel on Madison Avenue, only to find I needed a credit card to do so. I had never had such a thing. It was 10 p.m. and I needed a next step, so I walked out to Madison Avenue and contemplated who I could call at this hour and how would a classmate’s father would respond to a call at this time of night. Then, I saw a familiar figure walking down Madison Avenue dressed in a wool topcoat, suit and tie, a hat, and smoking a pipe. It was none other than Sarge Whittier ’57, VP of Development at SLU. “Mike, what are you doing here?” he asked. I explained the situation. He said he was in NYC for SLU business and staying at the Williams Club, a few blocks away. He had an extra bed in his room to which I was welcome. I was offered and accepted the job the following day. This was the beginning of a 40-year career in finance in NYC. Thank you, Sarge!
You see that in so many ways, SLU launched this opportunity and traveled with me on this journey.
I believe in hindsight, my most worthwhile and interesting experiences have occurred in involvement with non-work endeavors. My first such experience was joining the St. Lawrence Board of Trustees in 1993. It was there I learned governance, collaboration, mission, shared purpose, and true caring for an institution. This allowed me to have a fuller life with a meaningful participation experience. What a gift from SLU, and all I had to do was say “Yes.”
And then there are my classmates. Almost 50 years of friendships that have seen countless weddings, dinners, parties, travel, hiking, advice, encouragement, idea-sharing, memorial services, and just so much fun. Our 15-member Zooms helped get us through the COVID-19 lockdowns. Each other’s successes and happiness have brought joy to all of us. What a support group! What stands out the most is the impact that our classmates have had in endeavors away from their careers that have improved institutions and communities. There is a beautiful stained-glass window in Gunnison Chapel that is inscribed with “Enter to Learn. Go Forth to Serve.” You have it in you as Laurentians to fulfill this promise.
