Graham, Five Fulbrights Highlight New College’s 42nd Commencement on May 23

Former U.S. Senator and Florida Governor Bob Graham will be on hand as the featured speaker at commencement exercises for New College of Florida to be held this Friday, May 23, at 7 p.m. on the bayfront behind College Hall.

This year’s graduating class of nearly 170 students from the state honors college for the liberal arts includes five Fulbright Scholars, as well as a host of other award winners and graduates headed off to some of the nation’s leading graduate programs. This year’s Fulbright class once again places New College among the nation’s leading undergraduate colleges in terms of per capita Fulbright production. Over the past seven years, New College graduates have earned more Fulbrights per capita than undergraduates from Harvard, Stanford and Yale.

Noted for his quick wit and his in-depth knowledge of U.S. domestic and foreign policy, Bob Graham served as a U.S. Senator from 1987-2005 and as governor of the state of Florida from 1979-1987. He also ran for nomination as a presidential candidate from the Democratic Party during the 2004 election, eventually losing the nomination to Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.

“It is an uncommon privilege to have Senator Bob Graham speak at this year’s commencement,” said New College President Mike Michalson in announcing Graham’s visit. “Through his lifelong commitment to public service and his reasoned approach to political discourse, he exemplifies principled and engaged citizenship for our graduating students.”

For more information, contact the New College of Florida Office of Public Affairs at (941) 487-4150 or email [email protected].