Veritas, Vol. 38, No. 08, May 1996

              Commencement defines achievements of students, honorary doctorates
It’s time for scholars to don their academic regalia and mark the solemn—and joyous—ritual of commencement.
The May 10 ceremonies will take place at 8:30 a.m. on the lawn between the Otto G. Richter Library and the Whitten University Center.
An estimated 2,326 students will receive their degrees at the general commencement exercises, including 1,203 undergraduate, 579 graduate,
406 law, and 138 medical degrees.
Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin, president of Barry University, will deliver the commencement address. She will be given the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters and will be joined by seven other individuals distinguished in their fields to receive such honors.
Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin
When Sister Jeanne was a young girl in her native Detroit, she got her own glimpse of the pain of racial prejudice—she was spat upon after assisting an African-American family on a streetcar. Her father explained that the man acted out of ignorance. “I felt something happen inside me at that moment,” she recalls. “I knew ignorance was bad. I wanted to do something to eliminate that terrible thing, and the only way you get over ignorance is through education.”
A Catholic nun of the Adrian Dominican order, she has devoted her life to educating elementary schoolers to university students. Barry University has thrived during her 15-year tenure. Enrollment, faculty, and staff have expanded, and the growing campus reflects a healthy financial picture. Her zeal also extends to a variety of civic involvements. “Sister Jeanne doesn’t just put her imprimatur on good causes and then leave the work to others,” noted a recent Miami Herald tribute. “She’s inspiringly different.”
William Danforth
William Henry Danforth “caught the drive for excellence,” he says, in 1951 when he joined the Washington University medical faculty7. Appointed chancellor in 1966—a post he held for nearly 25 years—he elevated that institution into the upper echelons of higher education. The physician, researcher, teacher, and academician will be awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters for his unparalleled contributions to education.
Michael S. Brown
William H. Danforth
Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin
Norman
Schwarzkopf
Michael S. Brown and Joseph L. Goldstein
Michael S. Brown and Joseph L. Goldstein will together be awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Science for their achievements in the field of human genetics. Partners in the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the biochemical and genetic origins of cholesterol buildup and its role in promoting atherosclerosis and heart attacks, their findings enabled researchers to produce new drugs that reduce the risk of heart attacks.
David McCullough
Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, historian, lecturer, and teacher, David McCullough will be given the honorary Doctor of Letters. The author of several acclaimed books, including Truman, one of the most popular American biographies of all time, McCullough is known to millions of television viewers as the host of The American Experience., and as narrator of Ken Bums'
The Civil War.
Don Shula
The “winningest coach in NFL history” and a champion off the field as well, Don Shula will be awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, in recognition of his leadership with the Miami Dolphins. In a career that spanned a total of 33 years as a head coach, Shula set the standard of excellence, breaking league records and winning Super Bowls. Shula, who will soon be inducted into the football Hall of Fame, also extends his leadership to a wide range of community" and charitable endeavors.
Joseph L. Goldstein
David McCullough
Don Shula
Michael Tilson Thomas
Michael Tilson Thomas
A dedicated promoter of the works of American composers and commited to the development of the next generation of musicians, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas will be awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music. He is known locally as the founder of The New World Symphony, the professional training orchestra headquartered in Miami Beach, but the reach of his extraordinary talent is international. Tilson Thomas is credited with restor-
ing the prominence of the London Symphony Orchestra, and has received much critical notice as the music director of the San Francisco Symphony.
Norman Schwarzkopf
Once described as a “warrior with a soul,” retired U.S. Army General H. Norman Schwarzkopf will be awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service in recognition of his dedication to the defense of his country and to preserving world peace. Commander of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, Schwarzkopf earned the admiration of not only his troops in the field but of much of the rest of the world, as the Allied Forces reclaimed Kuwait from Iraq. The much-decorated, four-star general remains a man of action in retirement, serving on a range of charity boards and coordinating community events.
Faculty, administrators, candidates, and trustees should be in their assigned area by 7:30 a.m. The procession will form at 8 a.m. and begin promptly at 8:30 a.m.
A hooding ceremony for the School of Medicine will take place May 11 at 2 p.m.; hooding for the School of Law will take place May 12 at 2 p.m. Both are held at the Hyatt Regency/James L. Knight Center, 400 S.E. 2nd Avenue.
News media analyze presidential campaign
A group of high-powered pundits debated presidential politics from the stage of the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre as part of the CNBC Town Hall, a political roundtable broadcast five the weekend before the Florida primary. “Politics ’96: The Campaign and th e Media" in cluded top journalists giving their perspective of media coverage of the campaign and the candidates. Joseph Angotti, communication studies chair, organized the event, which was also carried on America’s Talking cable networks.
Among the panelists were George Stephanopoufos, special assistant to
the president; moderator Chris Matthews, of CNBC and the San Francisco Examiner: and The Baltimore Sun’s Jack Germond.
Is serious news getting lost in the barrage of talk? “The profusion of talk shows has really hurt the process. ” says NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw. “On a 24-hour cycle they're concentrating on who’s up and who’s down.”
John /lllloux