In March of 1956—just months before Edward M. Kennedy graduated from Harvard College—96 members of the United States House of Representatives ratified the Southern Manifesto, a document drafted by the late Senator Strom Thurmond that labeled the racial integration of Southern schools a “clear abuse of judicial power.”

A glimpse at today’s newspapers, plastered as many of them are with pictures and coverage of America’s first black President-elect, reveals exactly how much has changed in the 52 intervening years. Much of that transformation can be envisioned in, and in some cases attributed to, the lengthy and remarkable political career of the graduate in question, now-Senator Edward M. Kennedy ’56, who was awarded an honorary degree at a special convocation on Monday. At the ceremony Kennedy entered a select group thus distinguished by Harvard University, joining George Washington, Winston Churchill, and Nelson Mandela in the honor.

Sen. Kennedy’s rise to his position atop American politics was, of course, a tumultuous one that unfolded across decades. The youngest son in one of this country’s most influential political dynasties, Kennedy decided against a career in professional football to take up what had become the family business. He won his brother John’s vacated Senate seat in 1962—one he has held ever since.

Soon thereafter, the freshman senator and his family were subjected to tragedy after tragedy—Ted’s own steadfastness a reassurance to a nation shaken by the assassinations of his brothers John and Robert. Indeed, Kennedy has come to be defined by his perseverance. Through scandal, personal loss and political disappointment, he had become unmistakably the most prominent American voice for affordable health care and one of the most influential figures in Washington, D.C. by last February. It was then he decided—happily—to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for the presidency.

Almost 10 months later, Kennedy had the opportunity on Monday to speak on the significance of Obama’s landmark election. He described the events of November 4, a night still alive in the memories of the ebullient hundreds who filled Cambridge’s streets just one short month ago, as “not just a culmination, but a new beginning” for America.

Who better than this particular elder statesman to make such a pronouncement? In the midst of his ongoing struggle with brain cancer and what will likely be his last term as a U.S. Senator, Kennedy has not only witnessed but also participated in much of America’s commendable progress over the last half-century. He has known, intimately, the lowest lows and highest highs of his country’s flight to its present (precarious) position. And he has personally demonstrated both the selflessness and the ardor needed to move mountains and make change, not only for Massachusetts residents but for millions of Americans over the years.

Even as Kennedy used his time to commend his chosen candidate for reviving “the possibility of hope for one America,” University administrators are to be congratulated for planning this rare event, to bestow a deserved honor on one of the most committed American public servants in recent memory. As we, like Kennedy himself, set off into these next four years with cautious optimism and in the spirit of sacrifice, it is of vital importance that we also turn our gaze backward, to scan our history for guidance and glimmers of hope. In this search for inspiration, we could do far worse than the exemplary life of Ted Kennedy.