Speeches

Singapore American School: 50th Anniversary Celebration
Remarks by Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold
April 11, 2006

Thank you, Vrutika.

I am honored to join all of you in celebrating the golden anniversary of the Singapore American School.  I’m sure a number of people here today remember some things about 1956, no matter where you happened to be living at the time.  I put myself in that group.   Some of you in today's audience may even have witnessed SAS's opening day -- but if, like me, you were not there in person, maybe you’ve seen the photographs in Jim Baker's wonderful new book, "Singapore Eagles", showing the original SAS facility in a seven-bedroom colonial house in the Tanglin area.

I find it interesting to look at some of the parallels between SAS's remarkable growth and Singapore's own impressive development over the past fifty years.  What stands out most to me is that neither SAS nor Singapore has ever rested on its laurels -- both have consistently planned for tomorrow.  Both have been blessed with leaders who seized the opportunities that resulted in nearly continuous growth and adaptation.  Both embraced an international perspective and nurtured a vibrant environment.

I’m confident that at the school’s centennial celebration in 2056, speakers will pay tribute – as we do today – to the both the school and to Singapore, as leaders in the region, and the world.

Not surprisingly, Singapore showed great foresight in welcoming SAS fifty years ago.  Singaporean support for the school helped encourage Americans to gravitate to Singapore, where expatriates knew that their children could receive an excellent American-style education while having the privilege of living and learning in a foreign country.  Word quickly traveled within the foreign community.  When the school opened, SAS students represented 12 nationalities - today SAS students come from 52 countries.

It’s appropriate on this 50^th anniversary to express a special thank you to all the teachers, administrators, parents, and students, past and present, who have made Singapore American School not only the largest international school in the world, but also the best.

With that, I’ll conclude my remarks so that we can welcome the man who embodies those attributes of leadership and foresight that I mentioned, and who represents Singapore in the minds of people around the world, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.  His officiating at today's celebration is a signal honor for the entire American community in Singapore and offers us the opportunity to thank him for all he and Singapore have done for us.  His long-standing emphasis on education helped create today's modern Singapore and the welcoming atmosphere that allowed this school to grow and flourish.

Thank you.