The founder of the Linfox transport and logistics company, Lindsay Fox, received an honorary doctorate from the University at a graduation ceremony last Thursday.
Dr Fox received his doctorate, Honoris Causa, for his outstanding achievements in the transport industry, for his contribution to the community through his sustained efforts to reduce unemployment and his campaigning against youth suicide.
In a moving occasional address to graduates to accept his doctorate Dr Fox, who left school at 16, told his audience of staff, graduates and their family and friends that at age 73 he never thought he would graduate.
He said a former teacher once told his son, "Your father was an excellent student, but his teachers didn't know what to teach him".
He went on to say that if life were a game of football, he'd be "close to the end of the last quarter", but the lessons he'd learned in life were just as important to him now as they were as a younger man building his business.
One of those lessons was that people - family and friends - were the most important things in life and that money should never be a motivating factor.
"Money is a by-product of job satisfaction. If you start thinking that your motivation is money, you are not going to make the grade.
"If you take on a task and enjoy that task you are going to be very successful."
Dr Fox's family and friends, including business associates Solomon Lew and Bill Kelty, were attended the ceremony and the dinner afterwards marking the occasion.
Dr Fox's company Linfox has had a long association with the University and Linfox staff receive training from VU.
He has also been a long-time supporter of apprenticeship training and is active in the Federal Government's Apprentice Kickstart Program and its Keep Australia Working campaign.
