With a smiling face, ease and grace, Lloyd Ward greeted business and engineering students in the Erickson Kiva on Thursday and said his decision to lead this year’s Homecoming parade was an easy one.
Ward, a 1970 MSU graduate and chief executive officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee, stood poised at the front of the room, speaking humorously about his humble beginnings.
“Who would have thought that a kid from Romulus could be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company and return to MSU to be grand marshal in the Homecoming parade?” he said. “It’s pretty cool stuff.”
The parade begins today at 6 p.m. This year’s theme is “Going for the Gold.”
Ward’s career achievements as former chairman and CEO of Maytag Corporation, president of Frito-Lay Inc. and an executive stint with PepsiCo Inc., inspired parade officials to name him grand marshal.
“He is a distinguished alumni award member and a good combination of a role model for students and athletes,” said parade coordinator Sharon Radtke, who is also assistant director of special programs for the MSU Alumni Association.
Ward’s wife, Lita Ward, looked on as he talked about making the transition from an average student to owning a home where his master bedroom is the size of the house he grew up in. Ward said the basketball scholarship he received to attend MSU gave him the opportunity to unlock the doors to a corporate career.
“MSU is the reason why I am where I am today,” he said. “Getting my education here opened up doors for me and helped to broaden my journey through the corporate world.”
Ward said he enjoyed his stay at Wonders Hall during his freshman year.He especially enjoyed the cafeteria.
“Coming from Romulus, I had a wonderful time,” he said. “I had great access to Jenison Field House and the engineering labs and I loved the fact that I could go down to the cafeteria to eat.”
He and his wife also remembered the stringent rules in the residence halls that they had to adhere to.
“When I was at MSU, you could only have the opposite sex in your room for two hours on the weekend,” Ward said. “And when they were in your room, your feet had to be touching the floor at all times.”
Ward said he managed to overcome MSU’s enormity by taking advantage of opportunities on campus.
“I made the successful adjustment because the size of the campus was only one part of being here,” he said. “Basketball helped to give me connections with people who wanted to do what I wanted to do.”
Even though Ward enjoyed a successful stint on the basketball team, including becoming co-captain, he knew there was more to life than basketball.
“There is nothing more valuable than a college education,” he said.
He also said while college athletes have the right to pursue a professional career early, it is important to get a degree.
“It is essential to get a degree no matter how much money you attain,” Ward said. “There is a window of talent in athletics, and you must prepare for the time when the window is no longer open.”
Ward quoted nonviolent activist Mahatma Gandhi to describe what students should strive for.
“‘You must be the change you want to see in the world,’” he said. “If you want to make a difference, getting on the path to progress is very important to succeeding, even if you don’t know your destination.”
Students said they were impressed by Ward’s demeanor and achievements.
“He is a down-to-earth speaker,” said DeJuan Lever, a supply chain management junior. “He is a dynamic person and has inspired me to believe that if he can become the first African-American CEO and do great things, so can I.”
And Ward said his position with the U.S. Olympic Committee has opened his eyes to what the United States has to strive to do in relation to the rest of the world.
“It is important that we operate around the value of our similarities,” he said. “We must learn to live outside of our cocoons and comfort zones and experience new things in the world.”
Chrystal Griffin can be reached at griff242@msu.edu.
