Comparing life to a marathon, A. Eugene Kohn, president of an internationally-renowned architectural firm, urged the over 200 graduates of the Graduate School of Fine Arts to strive for future success at Monday's graduation ceremony.
"The key is to finish," he noted of the likeness of the two.
Kohn -- President of Kohn Pederson Fox Associates and Penn alumna -- said he believes that even after 47 years in the field, further success is still out there for him.
"If you think you're successful, that's the beginning of your downslide," said Kohn, who received a bachelor's degree from Penn in 1953 and a master's degree in architecture from GSFA in 1957.
During his commencement address, Kohn told graduates of the endless opportunities that await them in the "great global economy," echoing statements made earlier by Graduate School of Fine Arts Dean Gary Hack.
Kohn -- whose firm designed the new Wharton building, John M. Huntsman Hall -- continually emphasized that artists are not given the value and respect he thinks they deserve.
And he joked that because of the respect accorded to fields like business, technology and law, architects could become rich by starting "architects.com."
He then reminded graduates of how architecture can enhance an area's quality of life, noting that architects can "add joy to buildings and people."
Monday's program also featured a speech by Hack urging the graduates to help those less fortunate than them.
Our "entire society is a measure of how we've done as professionals," Hack said.
The ceremony, held in the Furness Plaza, ended with the presentation of degrees to graduates in the departments of Architecture, City and Regional Planning, Fine Arts, Historic Preservation and Landscape Architecture.
Overall, the graduates thought Kohn spoke well to the students of architecture.
""It was good to hear something positive in the field we're entering into," said graduate Myron Holowczak.
--Laura Lai
