Grammy Award-winning producer and Richmond SPCA CEO to address Richmond graduates; Korean War vets to receive honorary degrees
April 11, 2007
University of Richmond holds commencement exercises May 12-13, and speakers and honorees include a Grammy award-winning music producer-alumnus and CEOs whose leadership ranges from the Richmond SPCA to C-SPAN.
The schools of Continuing Studies and Law hold their ceremonies May 12 in the Robins Center, at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Continuing Studies will confer 135 bachelor's, associate's and master's degrees, and the law school will award 144 J.D. degrees.
Some 756 baccalaureate degrees and 70 graduate degrees will be awarded at the main commencement ceremony May 13 at 2 p.m. in the Robins Center. Seven veterans of the Korean War, who left college for military service and could not complete their studies, will receive honorary bachelor of letters degrees at the ceremony.
Steve Buckingham, member of the Class of 1971, will address the May 13 graduates. Senior vice president of Vanguard and Sugar Hill Records, he is a four-time Grammy Award-winning producer with 27 number one singles to his credit. He has produced 11 platinum and 19 gold albums for singers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Tammy Wynette, The Chieftains, Sinéad O'Connor, Dionne Warwick and jazz artists Kirk Whalum and Martin Taylor. He also has produced music for six motion pictures and two CBS television specials.
Robin Starr, CEO of the Richmond SPCA, will speak at the law school ceremony. Starr is a graduate Richmond's School of Law, where she was editor of University of Richmond Law Review. She practiced law as an in-house attorney with A.H. Robins Co. and as a partner of the law firm Williams Mullen. She left the practice of law in 1997 to lead the SPCA.
The speaker for the Continuing Studies ceremony is to be announced.
Otis D. Coston Jr., president of Stonemark Corp. and former rector of the university's Board of Trustees, will receive the Trustees' Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes unselfish dedication and meritorious service to the university.
Others receiving honorary degrees will be: Alfred H. Bloom, president of Swarthmore College, doctor of laws; John Fahey, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society, doctor of science; William E. Cooper, president of the university, doctor of science; Brian Lamb, president and CEO of C-SPAN, doctor of letters; Jorge Ramos, news anchor, Noticiero Univision, Univision Communications, doctor of letters; and Lila Harnett, founder of ArtTable, doctor of fine arts.
For more information about commencement, visit: commencement.richmond.edu.