For the second year, the 2009 Commencement will feature not one commencement speaker, but three honorary degree recipients offering words of wisdom to the graduating class.
The College will confer the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws to former Congressman Ralph Regula and former Editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer Doug Clifton and an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters to activist Alice McGrath.
ìFor President Cornwellís first commencement, he thought it would be more advantageous to hear more voices at commencement, so instead of having a regular ëcommencement speakerí, the three honorary degree recipients, or however many there would be in that particular year, would provide five- to seven-minute words of wisdom to the graduating class ó as well as to the audience, of course,” said Secretary of the College Sheila Wilson. ìThat was the first time we did that last year and it went over really well.”
Regula retired last year after 43 years of political service. He was a member of the Ohio House and Senate from 1965 until 1972, and then served in the U.S. House of Representatives until January 2009. Regula, who served as a school board member and principal before running for office, has always had a focus on education in his legislative work.
Clifton accrued four Pulitzer prizes for his publications during his 37-year career in journalism, three with the Miami Herald and one with the Cleveland Plain Dealer. In addition to his distinguished journalistic career, Clifton served for three years in the U.S. Army.
McGrath has been working as an activist for social justice in one way or another since the 1940s. The daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants to Los Angeles, McGrath has fought for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II, for the rights of Mexican-American youth to a fair trial, and, more recently, for progressive reforms in the Nicaraguan government.
Honorary degree recipients are chosen by a faculty committee, then voted on by the faculty as a whole and the Board of Trustees.
In addition to the honorary degree recipients, two senior students, one male and one female, are scheduled to speak at commencement. The names of students, chosen by the Presidentís Office, had not been released at press time.