VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE: "Liberty was all built on a foundation that cannot be shaken"

46th Commencement Address a call for religious tolerance in America

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May 11, 2019, 13:28 ET

LYNCHBURG, Va., May 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Vice President Mike Pence delivered the Commencement address at the 46^th Commencement ceremony of Liberty University. Mr. Pence was warmly received by the gathering of over 50,000 at Williams Stadium on the Liberty University campus, including 8,416 graduating students in attendance. The University graduated 20,731 total students, 80% of who earned their degrees in Liberty University's award-winning online programs.

The speech by the Vice President included a rousing call for religious tolerance at a time when free speech and religious freedom are under attack in America. Vice President Pence said, "Today you have a President and an administration that are standing strong for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the unalienable right to life … America needs men and women of integrity and faith now more than ever. The truth is, we live in a time when the freedom of religion is under assault."

In addition, the Vice President challenged the graduating class to value the timing of their graduation as they enter the workforce while the nation's economy is soaring under the leadership of President Donald Trump. "Class of 2019, you picked a great time to graduate because after two years of the leadership of President Donald Trump, confidence is back, jobs are coming back… in a word, America is back and you're just getting started!," he said.

In his remarks at the Commencement, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr. reflected on the spirit of entrepreneurialism instilled in the University by its founder, the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr.: "Graduates, I hope that your time at Liberty has also placed (the entrepreneurial) spirit including a real love for people in you. Liberty was built by entrepreneurs who took huge risks, and if you do that in your life and aren't afraid of failing, you'll be shocked at what you can accomplish."

For more information, contact Ryan Helfenbein: [email protected] or (502) 240-2333.

About Liberty University

Liberty University, founded in 1971, is the world's premier Christian university, one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the nation, and the largest university in Virginia. Located near the Blue Ridge Mountains on more than 7,000 acres in Lynchburg, Va., Liberty offers more than 600 unique programs of study from the certificate to the doctoral level. Over 300 programs are offered online. Utilizing its world-class infrastructure and Christian faculty, Liberty's mission is to train Champions for Christ with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting tomorrow's world.

SOURCE Liberty University