Nailing the Narrative: A Salute to the Speechwriters

UCF’s fourth president, John Hitt, died a month ago today, ironically on President’s Day. His passing caused an outpouring of tributes, opinion pieces and social media posts from UCF faculty and staff, alumni and others. Some knew him well, some barely at all, but the common denominator was a desire to express gratitude for the imprint he’d made in his 26 years at the helm of one of America’s largest public universities.

A big part of what made Hitt such an effective leader was that whatever he might say, on any topic, he always said it very well. He said it in ways that caused people to lean in and listen. He was in command of his material and his audience. He also had a master speechwriter at his side, something I believe no president should be without, whether they are running a country, a company or a university. In Hitt’s latter years at UCF, it was Joe Adams who helped him craft the narrative for every audience, large and small, internal or external, well informed or first-time listeners.

When I think of legacies like the one that will forever be associated with John Hitt, I think first of the speechwriters and executive communications strategists who help build the story, the ones who do the research, vet the facts, check the tone and know the audiences inside out before the president gets anywhere near that microphone. It is the story that builds the legacy and the storytellers who help the president craft them. Ironically, bonuses and annual reports are always tied to balanced budgets, graduation and retention rates and dollars raised, but legacies are not. It’s doubtful they ever will be

When people talk about John Hitt, they’ll talk about the lives he impacted and what drove him to make college a reality for so many. They will talk about the guy who was larger than life in some ways, but a bit shy one-on-one, the big university and the big leader with the very homey feel. They will talk about the first time they leaned in and listened. Or maybe the last time. So, here’s to all the speechwriters, but one in particular: my friend Joe Adams who served one president so very well and who always left enough room in the margins for John Hitt to make his corrections.

Together, they nailed the narrative.

And, with Joe’s permission, I am pleased to repost a tribute he wrote after his boss died. It’s what inspired me to write this blog post.

Much has been said about the inspiring life and triumphs of former UCF President John C. Hitt, who passed away at 82 on President's Day. Here’s more — including some thoughts from him.

Dr. Hitt lost his dad at age 15, and it was his father's great wish for his only child to be the first college-goer in the family. As Dr. Hitt's career evolved, he sought to transform as many lives and livelihoods as he could through the power of higher education. He succeeded in record numbers, while significantly boosting UCF's quality and impact on Central Florida and elevating the university to the national stage.

I treasure the seven years (2011-2018) I worked with him on hundreds of speeches, videos and other communications. Dr. Hitt was too humble to say it, but his many talents included an extraordinary ability to see beyond what is to what could be. He excelled at engaging others to invent a brighter future. These are among my favorite public remarks from The Partnership President:

“Education transforms lives, and, as a first-generation college student, I am proof of that life-changing process ... With a college education, people are more able to achieve the highest levels that their energy, their ability, and their ambition will permit.”

“Friends, if there is anything I have learned in 26 years, it is that our greatest danger is not to dream too large, but to dream too small. At UCF, we dream big. Our greatest limitations are those we place on ourselves.”

“As president, I realized long ago that I am a living logo for UCF. And so are you.”

“Partnerships get results ... By combining energies and resources with one or more partners of common cause, we can achieve great things together. We can create exciting new opportunities. And we can transform the impossible into the inevitable.”

“My faith in partnerships is grounded as much in practicality as in idealism. It has long seemed to me that no single, individual organization acting alone has the resources to solve the significant problems we face.”

“I am proud that UCF is a place where love, respect, and inclusion guide all that we do.”

“We’ve all known people who want to be something. They want a big title. They want a large office. Others, meanwhile, want to do something. They care foremost about tackling issues, pursuing solutions, and making the world a better place. Be a doer, and the 'be something' will take care of itself.”

“Thank you, Martha, for taking a chance on this Houston boy and making him look good. For that alone, you deserve a heavenly reward.”

“If you are fortunate enough to head a large and dynamic organization, people tend to credit you for much of the good that happens. And, while such praise can be flattering, allow me to set the record straight: The achievements at UCF that coincide with my tenure have far more to do with you than with anything that I could ever do.”

And then this one from his farewell address to the Florida Board of Governors in June 2018:

“As I look to the future, I know that our most daring days are ahead of us, that our students and faculty will inspire the world, and that you will be there every step of the way as UCF continues to turn the impossible into the inevitable.”

A Dr. Hitt speaking engagement could take unexpected turns. More in his own words from 2013:

“At one alumni event this year, a young man introduced himself to me. He said we had worked together a number of times at campus events, but we had never spoken. Now, I attend 100 or so events a year, and I don’t profess to remember every face that I see.

“Yet, based on what he said, he seemed like someone I should recognize. But I drew a blank, and I suspect he could see it on my face.

"Then, he said proudly, ‘I was Knightro!’”

In another outing, UCF trademarks for "America's Partnership University" and "America's Leading Partnership University" got approved just minutes before Dr. Hitt delivered his State of the University address on Sept. 24, 2013, our UCF 50th birthday year. I told Dr. Hitt and adjusted his remarks right before he went up.

Just seconds later and before the program started, a member of the UCF Board of Trustees walked up to Dr. Hitt, shook his hand, smiled and said: “I can't wait to hear what you have to say.”

And to that Dr. Hitt said: “I can't either!”

As UCF's “living logo,” Dr. Hitt rarely walked on campus without students asking for a picture with him.

A graduating senior stopped him in front of the Student Union. She told him her GREATEST dream in college was to meet him and get their picture taken together.

Dr. Hitt smiled, congratulated her on earning a degree and said: “You should set higher goals!”

Of course, he obliged on the picture.

Dr. Hitt had a wicked sense of humor. Upon his retirement in 2018, I assembled a collection of Hitt-isms for UCF’s Pegasus magazine. Sometimes his quips could be sharper than anticipated.

Dr. Hitt to me: “You look a lot like a guy that used to work at UCF.”

Me to him: “I'm a dead ringer!”

Thank you, Dr. Hitt, for making the world a better and brighter place — and then some, as you used to say.

Joe Adams served as UCF President John C. Hitt's speechwriter and communications specialist for seven years. A former newspaper editorial writer and editor who joined the university in 2011, his speeches for Hitt — and later two UCF provosts — earned a dozen awards from national organizations.