Box 3, Folder 49 and 49A– General Speeches
June 2, 1986 – “Random Thoughts on Creativity,” MIT, Cambridge, MA
6/2/86, Copy of typewritten text of speech, with some handwritten notations by Hewlett
This speech is almost identical to that given on October 11, 1989 at the University of Bologna, Italy and so is not repeated here.
Papers included in the folder – note a second folder needed
6/2/86, Typewritten and handwritten drafts of speech
2/7/86 to 5/12/86, Various Notes on travel arrangements and ceremony logistics, apparently to Hewlett from his secretary, Mollie Yoshizumi.
2/12/86, Photocopy of page from MIT publication, “Tech Talk,” with article telling of Hewlett’s planned attendance and address at the forthcoming commencement
5/14/86, List of corporate members and spouses attending luncheon
6/2/86, Copy of typewritten sheet listing program schedule for the ceremony
6/2/86, Typewritten list of center stage principals
1/14/86, Letter to Hewlett from Paul E. Gray, President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, saying “A student group has overwhelmingly recommended you as this year’s Commencement Exercises,” and he invites Hewlett to be the Guest of Honor at their commencement
1/28/86, Copy of a letter to President Gray from Hewlett accepting the invitation – and noting the date will mark 50 years since his own graduation from MIT [Master of Engineering]. He also asks if Gray could let him know who the commencement speaker was 50 years ago.
2/6/86, Letter to Hewlett from Paul Gray, saying he is delighted Hewlett will be the 120th Commencement speaker. He also advises that a Newton Diehl Baker, former Secretary of War, was the Commencement speaker in 1936.
2/11/86, Letter to Hewlett from Timothy McConnell, a student and President of the Gamma Pi chapter of Kappa Sigma, inviting him to dinner at their House during his trip.
3/4/86, Copy of a letter from Hewlett to Timothy McConnell saying the schedule for the Commencement activities has not yet been finished, and he will let them know whether he is able to accept their invitation at a later date – looks tight, however, he adds
5/23/86, Copy of a letter from Hewlett to Timothy McConnell explaining that, due to the brief trip schedule, he will not be able to accept their invitation to dinner.
2/18/86, Letter to Hewlett from Harold E. Edgerton, retired from MIT, congratulating him on being the Commencement speaker, and saying that he is sending a copy of a book entitled “Moments of Vision.”
2/24/86, Copy of a letter to Edgerton from Hewlett thanking him for his letter.
2/22/86, Letter to Hewlett from, Dave Lyons, a student at MIT, saying he has lost the manual for his HP 15-C and wonders if Hewlett could send him a replacement.
3/6/86, Copy of a letter to Lyons from Mollie Yoshizumi, Secretary to Hewlett, telling him the phone number which he can call to obtain the manual – for $10.00.
2/18/86, Letter to Hewlett from Dr. Julius A. Stratton, [former professor at MIT?], saying it “has been a long time since that were together at MIT. He also says he will never forget Hewlett’s “kindness and generosity is establishing the Stratton Professorship, which has meant so much to me.”
3/27/86, Copy of a letter to Dr. Stratton from Hewlett saying he hopes to be able to visit during his trip.
4/28/86, Copy of a letter to Hewlett from Dr. David. S. Saxon, Chairman of the MIT Corporation, inviting him, and guests, to a luncheon at his apartment on campus after the Commencement
5/9/86, Copies of notes from Mollie Yoshizumi, Hewlett’s Secretary, to members of his family accompanying him on the trip, sending them a copy of Dr. Saxon’s invitation
5/14/86, Copy of a letter from Hewlett to Dr. Saxon accepting the luncheon invitation and listing the members of his family who will attend: son and daughter-in-law, Walter and Esther Hewlett; daughter and son-in-law, Eleanor and Jean-Paul Gimon, and grandson, Eric Gimon.
5/13/86, Copy of a note to Hewlett from Karen Gervais, HP Press Relations, saying she would like to offer his speech on creativity at MIT to either the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, and asking if this meets with his approval. A handwritten note from him at the bottom of the letter says “wait and see” [See also note dated 11/25/86 below]
5/15/86, Letter to Mollie Yoshizumi from Mary Morrissey, Executive Officer for the Commencement, listing all arrangements for local transportation upon arrival and for the following day.
5/22/86, Copy of a letter to Dr. David Saxon, from Hewlett, saying he would like to add another person as a guest for the luncheon after the Commencement – Loret Ruppe, a cousin of Mrs. Hewlett, and head of the Peace Corps.
5/29/86, Copy of a letter from Hewlett to Dr. Roger Heyns, President, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, sending him a copy of his MIT speech and thanking him for his help.
5/26/86, Letter to Hewlett from Vivienne Lee, graduating class President, telling him how much she enjoyed and benefited from her experience as a SED student at HP the previous summer, and saying she looks forward to meeting him at the commencement.
5/30/86, Copy of a letter from Hewlett to Vivienne Lee saying “it was such a pleasure to read her heartwarming letter,” and adds that he looks forward to meeting her.
5/30/86, Notes to his children, Bill, Mary, and Jim, sending copies of his speech with the note: “I thought you might be interested.”
6/2/86, Copy of a note from Mollie Yoshizumi to Dr. Luis Alvarez, sending him the copy of Hewlett’s speech as requested.
6/5/86, Copies of letters from Hewlett to the following people sending each of them a copy of his commencement address:
Robert J. Glaser, M.D.
Don Hammond, HP, Bristol
Chuck House, HP, Palo Alto
Mrs. Philip Ruppe, Washington D.C.
Dr. Jerome B. Wiesner, MIT
6/4/86, Letter to Hewlett from Paul E. Gray, MIT President, thanking him for participating in their Commencement Exercises
6/18/86, Letter to Hewlett from David S, Saxon, thanking him for participating in the MIT commencement
6/12/86, Letter to Hewlett from Robert C. Di Iorio, Associate Director of MIT’s News Office, sending him a copy of their news release about the Commencement Exercise, including quotes from his address.
6/26/86, Copy of a letter from Hewlett to Robert Di Iorio thanking him for his letter.
5/21/86, Letter to Hewlett from Professor Lawrence Susskind, Executive director, Program on Negotiation, Harvard Law School, commenting on the support given their program by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and inviting him to visit during his trip.
6/26/86, Copy of a letter to Professor Susskind from Hewlett saying he got his letter too late to respond and is sorry they could not meet, maybe another time.
6/26/86, Letter to Hewlett from David R. Lampe, Editor, The MIT Report saying they would like to include an article based on his speech at the Commencement in their publication, and he encloses a draft of a suggested article.
7/17/86, Copy of a letter from Hewlett to David Lampe approving the draft for publication.
See second folder on this speech for more material, mostly correspondence, with related publications.
6/2/86, Printed program for the entire Commencement Exercise
6/4/86, Issue of MIT publication, Tech Talk, containing the text of Hewlett’s commencement address
1/31/86, Handwritten note from Jean Burke, Measure Managing Editor, to Hewlett’s Secretary Mollie Yoshizumi, enclosing a transcript of her interview with Hewlett on the subject of creativity. Also attached is an issue of Measure which contains an article on the subject
11/10/86, Clipping from the Singapore newspaper, The Business Times, containing an article on creativity based on Jean Burke’s article in Measure
5/?/86, Handwritten note to Hewlett from Luis Alvarez attaching a copy of a talk given by Walter Alvarez [his son] on the subject of iridium and stellar impacts on the earth
5/19/86, Note to Hewlett from Steve Fox, HP Patent Law Department, attaching a copy of an article describing how Einstein got the idea for his Theory of Relativity, [in a dream], and how Niels Bohr formulated Quantum Mechanics.
5/19/86, Handwritten note to Hewlett from Steve Fox, Patent Law Dept. attaching an article on counterfeiting which quotes John Young, HP president
7/3/86, Letter to Hewlett from Jerome B. Wiesner, thanking him for the copy of his address, and enclosing a copy of one he plans to give in October titled “Creating with Computing”
8-9/86, Issue of the MIT publication, TechnologyReview containing excerpts from Hewlett’s commencement address
11/25/86, Memo to Hewlett from Karen Gervais, HP Public Relations, enclosing her edited version of his MIT commencement address, and asking if it meets with his approval, adding that she wants to approach either the Wall Street Journal, or the Christian Science Monitor to get it printed.
12/17/86, Memo to Hewlett from Karen Gervais saying she has “tweaked” the third paragraph as he suggested, plus the last three paragraphs which she thought needed some more work, and she again asks his approval
11/14/86, Note to Hewlett probably from Secretary Mollie Yoshizumi, saying Doug Kundrat of the HP Patent Legal Department called to say that IBM is interested in reprinting the excerpt from his MIT speech [MIT TechnologyReview – see listing dated August/September above] in their publication “Creativity.” Hewlett’s handwritten word “OK” is written on the page
