The president of the University of South Carolina resigned after he was busted plagiarizing parts of his commencement speech. Bob Caslen admitted that he stole two paragraphs of his speech from a speech delivered by Admiral William McRaven in 2014.

McRaven's advice to graduates at the University of Texas went viral and has been viewed over 13 million times on YouTube.

"Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often," McRaven said. "But if you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden, and never, ever give up — if you do these things, then the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today. And what started here will indeed have changed the world — for the better."

Here is a transcript of Caslen's remarks from WIS:

"Know that life is not fair, and if you're like me, you'll fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when times are toughest, face down the cowardly bullies and lift up the downtrodden, and never, never give up – if you do those things, the next generation and the generations to follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today. And what started here – today – will indeed change the world for the better."

Caslen apologized for failing to attribute the words to McRaven.

"I am truly sorry. During my remarks in our weekend commencement ceremonies, I shared a well-known quote from Admiral William McRaven and failed to cite him as its original author and speaker. I was searching for words about resilience in adversity, and when they were transcribed into the speech, I failed to ensure its attribution," Caslen said.

The act of plagiarism wasn't the only mistake Caslen made during his speech to the class of 2021. In a video posted on Twitter, Caslen can be heard congratulating the "newest alumni from the University of California."

He realized his mistake and quickly apologized, joking, "I owe you push-ups."

Photo: Getty Images

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