How long after the last lecture did Randy Pausch die?

When did Randy Pausch give his last lecture?

Sept. 18, 2007

On Sept. 18, 2007, only a month after doctors told him that he had three-to-six months to live following a recurrence of pancreatic cancer, he presented a lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” to a packed auditorium at Carnegie Mellon.

When did Pausch die?

Four months later, on July 25, 2008, Randy Pausch succumbed to pancreatic cancer. In his Last Lecture and through his advocacy efforts, Randy Pausch left tremendous gifts of hope and optimism for patients and loved ones touched by pancreatic cancer.

What type of illness is Randy dying from the Last Lecture?

pancreatic cancer

The cause was metastasized pancreatic cancer, Carnegie Mellon University announced. Professors are sometimes asked to give lectures on what wisdom they would impart if they knew it was their last chance.

What were Randy Pausch’s last words?

Dr. Pausch’s reply: “I’ll get back to you on that.” And those, according to Mr. Seabolt, were the final words of Randy Pausch.

What is so important about the ending scene in The Last Lecture?

The most important thing about the final scene in The Last Lecture is that Randy, the protagonist, admits that he said falsehoods behind his lecture. He manages to reveal the lecture’s real purpose before closed it, knowing that it would be his last one.

What does the brick wall mean in The Last Lecture?

The brick walls are there to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want something badly enough. They are there to keep out the other people. If there’s anything I want to do so badly, I should have already done it.

Where did Pausch give his Last Lecture?

Carnegie Mellon University



Pausch delivered his “Last Lecture” Sept. 18, 2007, at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pennsylvania, where he taught before moving his family to Virginia, closer to relatives who could help raise his kids after his looming death.

Why did Randy Pausch write the last lecture?

Pausch went on to say he wasn’t going to talk about his cancer. Instead, he wanted to celebrate his life and the lessons he had learned while growing up.

Where did Pausch give his last lecture?

Carnegie Mellon University

Pausch delivered his “Last Lecture” Sept. 18, 2007, at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pennsylvania, where he taught before moving his family to Virginia, closer to relatives who could help raise his kids after his looming death.

Why did Pausch decide to give this last lecture who is it really for?



To Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture speech was something he could leave his children, a way to say goodbye to his university colleagues, and a chance to cement his legacy and do a last bit of good. Pausch wanted to give back to the world before he passed away, it was something his father taught him to do since childhood.

Why did Randy Pausch write the last lecture?

Pausch went on to say he wasn’t going to talk about his cancer. Instead, he wanted to celebrate his life and the lessons he had learned while growing up.

What is Chapter 17 about in the last lecture?

Jai and Randy get married on the lawn of a Victorian mansion in Pittsburgh, but rather than leaving the reception in a ‘Just Married’ car, they are whisked off by a huge hot-air balloon.

What is Chapter 20 about in the last lecture?

Chapter 20 focuses on Pausch’s father and how Pausch learned a surprising truth about his dad after his death. While searching through his dad’s things, Pausch “came upon mysteries that made [him] smile” (94).

What is the irony of the last lecture?



The premise of this lecture is to give an hour long speech that encompasses everything you would want to say if you were hypothetically dying. However, in Dr. Pausch’s case, this was extremely ironic, because he was literally dying. Another source of irony was the timing of the speech itself within the school year.