Steny Hoyer, Andrew Kohut to Be Honored at Annual Washington's Birthday Convocation

Chestertown, MD — A politician who has served the people of Maryland for many years and a pioneering expert in the field of public-opinion research will be honored at Washington College's annual George Washington's Birthday Convocation at the College's Benjamin A. Johnson Lifetime Fitness Center on Friday, February 20, at 3:30 p.m.

Receiving honorary degrees at the annual ceremony will be Congressman Steny Hoyer and Andrew Kohut of the Pew Research Center. Also being honored are the 2009 Washington College Service Award recipients.

Congressman Hoyer represents Maryland's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties and portions of Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties. Now serving as the majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Hoyer is charged with managing the House floor as well as scheduling legislation to be considered on the floor.

He also plays a key role in helping House Democrats determine their legislative agenda and political strategy, and in building support for the Party's positions and delivering the Democratic message both in Washington and nationally. Prior to being elected Majority Leader, Hoyer served two terms as the Democratic Whip.

Members on both sides of the aisle recognize Hoyer as an effective leader and committed consensus builder who knows how to get things done. He is widely regarded as a champion for federal employees and is a well-known leader on education issues. As the former Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, he also is a respected voice on human and civil rights. He is perhaps best known for serving as the lead House sponsor of historic Federal election reform (the "Help America Vote Act") and for guiding the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) to passage.

Andrew Kohut—founding president of the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C.—is an expert in public opinion. The former president of the Gallup Organization and founder of Princeton Survey Research Associates now acts as Director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, and for the Pew Global Attitudes Project. Kohut often comments on public opinion for television news programs including PBS's "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."

Kohut has written widely about public opinion for leading newspapers and magazines, as well as for scholarly journals. He is a frequent op-ed essayist for The New York Times and in the past has been a regular columnist for Columbia Journalism Review and AOL News. He has authored four books, including, most recently, America Against the World (Times Books) and The Diminishing Divide: Religion's Changing Role in American Politics (Brookings Institution Press).

Kohut received the first Innovators Award from the American Association of Public Opinion Research, and was given the New York AAPOR Chapter award for Outstanding Contribution to Opinion Research. Most recently, he was awarded the 2005 American Association of Public Opinion Research's highest honor, the Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement.

The George Washington's Birthday Convocation also will serve as the occasion to honor members of the College family with the 2009 Washington College Service Awards. The President's Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Vickie B. Anderson, Billie S. Dodge and Shirley Dorsey. The President's Medal this year goes to Richard W. Miller and Leslie P. Raimond '63. And the 2009 Alumni Service Award will be received by Barbara T. Cromwell '55.

A reception will follow the ceremony in the Lifetime Fitness Center.

Fall Convocation Welcomes 326 Freshmen, Honors Senator Miller, Philanthropist Griswold, August 23

Chestertown, MD, August 16, 2007 — On Thursday, August 23, 2007, Washington College will welcome 326 new freshmen and their parents during the college's annual Freshman Convocation. The Convocation also will honor Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., President of the Senate of Maryland; and Jack S. "Jay" Griswold, former Chairman of the college's Board of Visitors and Governors. Miller will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the college, and Griswold will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service. Ceremonies will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Cain Athletic Center.

Representing the citizens of Prince George's and Calvert counties for more than 35 years in the Maryland General Assembly, Senator Mike Miller is concerned with issues relating to education, health, transportation, the environment and the economy and how they affect Marylanders. He has been active in Democratic Party politics since his early teens and has served in positions of influence in both the Maryland Democratic Party and National Democratic Committee.

Miller has held his current position as President of the Senate of Maryland—Maryland's second highest office—for 20 years, making him the longest serving Senate President in the entire country. He is the recipient of the William P. Coliton Community Service Award from the Johns Hopkins University, the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award from the University of Maryand, the Tyser Medallion from the University of Maryland Alumni Association, and the John R. Hargraves Distinguished Legislative Fellow Award from Salisbury University. A native of Prince George's County, Miller received both his bachelor's degree and a law degree from the University of Maryland. An avid reader, he is especially interested in Maryland and Civil War history.

Jay Griswold is Director and Senior Advisor of Brown Advisory and Trust Company, and a seasoned philanthropist. The Baltimore executive and Washington College parent has been on the College's Board of Visitors and Governors since 1993 and served as Board Chair for the last six years. In 1997 he agreed to chair the College's $72 million capital campaign, pledging a leadership gift and one day a week of his time—a commitment he far exceeded. The Campaign for Washington's College concluded with $103.4 million raised.

In recognition of his work leading the largest capital campaign in the College's history, the Maryland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals named Griswold the 2005 Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser in Maryland. A graduate of Gilman School, Princeton University and University of Pennsylvania, Griswold has also been active with the Maryland Historical Society, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Living Classrooms Foundation.

Fall Convocation Welcomes Freshmen, Honors Ambassador and Presidential Historian David Abshire, August 24

Chestertown, MD, August 15, 2006 — On Thursday, August 24, 2006, Washington College will welcome 320 new freshmen and their parents during the college's annual Freshman Convocation. The Convocation will also honor Ambassador David M. Abshire, a decorated foreign diplomat, former Special Counselor to President Ronald Reagan, and President of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. Ambassador Abshire will receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the college. Ceremonies will begin at 2:30 p.m. in the Cain Gymnasium.

This year's freshmen class—one of the largest in the college's history—represents more than 20 states and five foreign nations. More than 40 percent of the class are members of the National Honor Society and 36 percent were in the top 10 percent of their high school's graduating classes.

"The students of the Class of 2010 show great potential and promise," said Baird Tipson, President of Washington College. "They are diverse, motivated, and immersed in a world vastly more complex and interconnected than a decade ago. They face a world in transition and a world in crisis. Our honored guest, Ambassador Abshire, has also faced world crises and made a great impact in international affairs, not only through his role as a diplomat but also as a scholar and historian of presidential leadership, national security, and foreign policy. His life and his work are examples to our students of who will tackle new challenges—political, economic, environmental, and educational—on a global scale."

Co-founder with Admiral Arleigh Burke of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Ambassador Abshire served as Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations from 1970-1973 and later as Chairman of the U.S. Board of International Broadcasting. He was a member of the Murphy Commission on the Organization of the Government, the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, and the President's Task Force on U.S. Government International Broadcasting. During the transition of government in 1980, President Reagan asked him to head the National Security Group, which included the State and Defense Departments, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Central Intelligence Agency. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the Naval War College and on the Executive Panel of the Chief of Naval Operations.

In the mid-1980s, he served as Ambassador to NATO where, in reaction to the threat posed by Soviet SS-20 missiles, he was the U.S. point man in Europe for deployment of Pershing and Cruise missiles.

It was this NATO success that convinced the Soviets to sign the historic INF Treaty and withdraw their missiles. Ambassador Abshire initiated a new conventional defense improvement effort so that NATO would not have to rely heavily on nuclear weapons. For this, he was given the highest Defense Department civilian award—its Distinguished Public Service Medal.

A graduate of West Point, he received his doctorate in history from Georgetown University, and for many years was an adjunct professor at its School of Foreign Service. In 2002, he helped establish the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy at CSIS, and was elected President of the Richard Lounsbery Foundation of New York, which gives grants in the fields of science and education. In 2003, he served on the Advisory Group for Public Diplomacy mandated by Congress. In 2005, he chaired a panel for the Homeland Security Advisory Board to develop layered defenses against weapons of mass effect for the maritime domain.

Founding editor of The Washington Quarterly and author of the CSP publications The Character of George Washington and Lessons for the 21st Century: Vulnerability and Surprise, December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001, Ambassador Abshire has written six books, including Saving the Reagan Presidency (2005), Foreign Policy Makers: President vs. Congress (1979), and Preventing World War III: A Realistic Grand Strategy (1988). He is editor of Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Presidency: Seventy-Six Case Studies on Presidential Leadership (2002).

Author Richard Brookhiser to Address Incoming Freshmen, August 25

Chestertown, MD, July 19, 2005 — Richard Brookhiser, author of Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington (1996), will address incoming students and their families at the annual Freshman Convocation, Thursday, August 25, at 2 p.m. in Washington College's Cain Gymnasium. Mr. Brookhiser will receive an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the College in recognition of his contributions to the understanding of America's founding era and revolutionary leaders.

Recognized for his stylish and elegant "moral biographies," Mr. Brookhiser is the author of Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, American (1999), The First Dynasty: The Adamses1735-1918 (2002), and Gentleman Revolutionary: Gouverneur Morris, the Rake Who Wrote the Constitution (2004). In addition, he recently released an annotated edition of Washington's The Rules of Civility: The 110 Precepts That Guided Our First President in War and Peace. Mr. Brookhiser is senior editor of National Review and a columnist for The New York Observer. He has also written for American Heritage andThe New York Times Book Review. He lives in New York City.

2004 Freshman Convocation

Congressman Wayne Gilchrest will address incoming students and their families at the annual Freshman Convocation, Thursday, August 26, at 2 p.m. in Washington College's Cain Gymnasium.

President Baird Tipson will present Congressman Gilchrest an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Washington College in recognition of his years of service to his nation and to his local community as a U.S. Marine, as a high school teacher and as Maryland's 1st District Representative. Now in his seventh term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Gilchrest has emerged as a strong voice for fiscal responsibility and environmental protection, dedicating his attention to protecting and preserving the environment of the Chesapeake Bay region and the nation's natural resources.

College Convocation Honors Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, Welcomes Class Of 2007

Chestertown, MD, July 28, 2003 — On Thursday, August 21, 2003, Washington College will hold its annual convocation to welcome incoming students and to launch the new academic year. This year's guest of honor is Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, who will address the Class of 2007 and receive an Honorary Doctor of Law. The ceremony will be held in the Cain Athletic Center Gymnasium starting at 2 p.m.
This fall, the College will enroll 360 first-time freshmen chosen from a record number of applicants, 2,114 in all. With an average high school GPA of 3.47 and the best class rank profile in the College's history (66 percent in the top 20 percent of their high school classes), this year's freshman class is one of the highest achieving on record.
The College is proud to honor Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, the first African American in Maryland history to be elected to the position of lieutenant governor. Through his office, Steele works with the Maryland's congressional delegation and with state and local officials to promote and implement the administration's policies and initiatives.
The gubernatorial election of 2002 capped a lifetime of triumph against the odds and earning acceptance in places where many felt he did not belong. Born in Prince George's County, the son of a laundress, Steele attended Archbishop Carroll High School and Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a B.A. in international relations and served as student body president. Later he attended the Augustinian Friars Seminary at Villanova University, and he earned his J.D. in 1991 from Georgetown University Law School.
During the 1990s, Steele worked as a lawyer specializing in international law and financial transactions while rising through the ranks of the Republican Party in Prince George's County. In 2000 he was elected chair of the Maryland State Republican Party, becoming the first African American in the nation to head a state party. He also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Republican National Committee.
Steele has distinguished himself in many areas of public service, including politics, education and social reform. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Steele to serve on the Board of Visitors of the United State Naval Academy. Under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, he served as a commissioner on the National Federal Election Reform Commission, and in 2001 served on the NAACP's Blue Ribbon Panel on Election Reform. Other affiliations include the Board of Visitors of the Hospice of the National Capital Area (2001), the Archdiocese of Washington Pastoral Council (1996-1999), and the Board of Trustees of the Johns Hopkins University (1981-1985).
Steele is a member of the Prince George's County Chapter of the NAACP and the Johns Hopkins University Society of Black Alumni. He has received several awards for his outstanding contributions to Maryland, including the African American Chamber of Commerce of Montgomery County Outstanding Speaker Award, the NAACP Meritorious Achievement Award, the Knights of Columbus Maryland State Council Citizen of the Year Award, and the Prince George's County Board of Trade Citizen of the Year Award. Steele lives in Landover Hills, MD, with his wife Andrea and their two sons, Michael and Drew.

College to Honor Country Legend Eddy Arnold and L. Clifford Schroeder at Fall Convocation

Chestertown, MD, August 10, 2001 — Washington College will honor country singer/songwriter Eddy Arnold and L. Clifford Schroeder, 1998-2001 Chairman of the College's Board of Visitors and Governors, at its Fall Convocation on Thursday, September 6, 2001, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Tawes Theatre of the Gibson Performing Arts Center. Arnold will be recognized with an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts for his contributions to country music, and Schroeder will be recognized for his service to the College and other public organizations with an Honorary Doctor of Public Service. The Convocation is free and open to the public.

Eddy Arnold holds the distinction of being the only singer to achieve Billboard chart hits in seven separate decades. Long before today's country pop revolution, Arnold became the original country crossover, bringing the country sound into the mainstream of popular American music. Managed by Col. Tom Parker, who later went on to direct the career of Elvis Presley, Arnold began to dominate country music in the late 1940s. In 1955 Arnold broke with the country music establishment by recording with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra, expanding his appeal and making country music a mainstay of popular American music.

In 1964, Arnold embarked on a "second career" that surpassed the success of the first one and carried his music to a more diverse audience. "Make the World Go Away" was just another song until it received the Arnold touch and became an international hit. Arnold's 60-year-plus career has earned him induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

L. Clifford Schroeder, Sr., father of Washington College alumni Louis Clifford Schroeder '91 and Christopher Lyon Schroeder '94, currently serves a president of Chronos Limited and Dixie Container Capital Corporation located in Richmond, VA. Mr. Schroeder joined the Washington College Board in 1990 and was elected Chairman in 1998.

Mr. Schroeder holds a B.A. in economics from Harvard College and an M.A. from the Harvard Business School, and has had an active career in public service as well as in business.

In addition to his decade of service to Washington College, Mr. Schroeder served for 16 years as chair of the Virginia Outdoors Association, a board member of the St. Christopher's School and Taft School, vice chair of the Virginia Oyster Reef Heritage Foundation, chair of the Virginia Chesapeake Bay Board, and a member of the Board of Visitors and Governors of the College of William and Mary. He and his wife, Lois, reside in Richmond.

Country Crooner Eddy Arnold to Be Honored at College's Fall Convocation

Chestertown, MD, July 17, 2001 — Washington College will honor country crooner Eddy Arnold at its Fall Convocation on Thursday, September 6, 2001, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the College's Gibson Performing Arts Center's Tawes Theatre. Arnold will receive an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the College. The Convocation is free and open to the public.

Eddy Arnold holds the distinction of being the only singer to achieve Billboard chart hits in seven separate decades. Long before today's country pop revolution, Arnold became the original country crossover, bringing the country sound into the mainstream of popular American music.

Arnold was born on May 15, 1918 in Henderson, Tennessee. During his childhood, he suffered through the death of his father and the loss of the family farm. When he turned 18, he left home to make his mark in the music world. Arnold's formative musical years included early struggles to gain recognition until he landed a job as the lead male vocalist for the Pee Wee King Band. By 1943 Arnold was a solo star on the Grand Ole Opry. He was signed by RCA and in December of 1944 cut his first record. Although all of his early records sold well, his big hit did not come until 1946 with "That's How Much I Love You."

Managed by Col. Tom Parker, who later went on to manage the career of Elvis Presley, Arnold began to dominate country music. In 1947-48 he had 13 of the top 20 songs. In 1955 Arnold upset many in the country music establishment by going to New York to record with the Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra. The pop-oriented arrangements of "Cattle Call" and "The Richest Man (In the World)" expanded Arnold's appeal and made country music a mainstay of popular American music.

With the advent of Rock and Roll, Arnold's record sales dipped in the late 1950s, but after Jerry Purcell became his manager in 1964, Arnold embarked on a "second career" that surpassed the success of the first one and, in the process, realized his dream of carrying his music to a more diverse audience. Having already been recorded by several other artists, "Make the World Go Away" was just another song until it received the Arnold touch. Under the direction of producer Chet Atkins, and showcased by Bill Walker's arrangement, and the talents of the Anita Kerr Singers and pianist Floyd Cramer, Arnold's soaring rendition of "Make The World Go Away" became an international hit. Bill Walker's precise, intricate arrangements of the Nashville sound musicians provided the lush background for 16 straight Arnold hits through the late 1960s, and Arnold started performing with symphony orchestras in virtually every major city.

Arnold differed from many country singers of his time. He sang from his diaphragm, not through his nose. He avoided honky-tonk themes and preferred to sing songs that explored the intricacies of love. Steve Sholes, who produced all of Arnold's early hits, called Arnold a natural singer, comparing him to the likes of Bing Crosby and Caruso. Arnold's 60-year-long career has earned him induction into the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

Author Richard Ben Cramer to Speak at Convocation

Chestertown, MD, February 16, 2001 — Washington College will honor Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ben Cramer at the annual George Washington's Birthday Convocation on Saturday, February 17, 2001 at 2:00 p.m. in the College's Gibson Performing Arts Center, Tawes Theatre. Cramer will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters from the College.

Author of the recent best-selling biography Joe Dimaggio: The Hero's Life (Simon & Schuster, 2000), Cramer is a dogged journalist whose writing is as incisive as it is empathetic. Born in Rochester, NY, he studied journalism at Johns Hopkins and Columbia University before taking his first job with the (Baltimore) Sun in 1971. In 1976, Cramer went to work for The Philadelphia Inquirer, becoming an overseas correspondent and earning the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Middle East and Arab-Israeli conflict. Since 1984, Cramer has worked as a freelance writer and researcher probing America's cultural icons and political life. His 1992 bestseller, What It Takes: The Way to the White House, has been hailed by critics as the best book ever written on American politics.

The George Washington's Birthday Convocation is held annually in February to honor Washington College's founding patron. This year's event will open with an invocation and benediction by Dr. Gary Schiff, an avocational Hebrew cantor and lecturer in the College's Department of Philosophy and Religion. The ceremony also will honor students inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa national honor society. A reception and book signing will be held in the Tawes Gallery immediately following the Convocation. The event is free and open to the public. For further information call 410-778-7849.

Benjamin Carson, Rita Colwell, and Lois Duffey to be honored at Washington College

Chestertown, MD, August 16, 2000 — Surgeon Benjamin S. Carson Sr., National Science Foundation Director Rita R. Colwell, and Eastern Shore civic leader Lois S. Duffey will be honored at Washington College's Fall Convocation at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, September 7.

Benjamin S. Carson Sr. is professor and director of pediatric neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore. Dr. Carson, one of the preeminent pediatric neurosurgeons in the world, gained international renown in 1987 when he led the medical team that successfully separated conjoined twins who shared a major cerebral blood system. In 1997, he led the first completely successful separation of twins joined at the top of the head. He has refined the techniques for hemispherectomy, a radical brain surgery to stop intractable seizures, and he is known for his work in craniofacial reconstructive surgery, achondroplasia (human dwarfism), and pediatric neuro-oncology (brain tumors). As an African American who overcame the obstacles of an inner-city upbringing and difficulties in school to become one of the most celebrated physicians in the world, Dr. Carson also is an inspirational role model. He is president and co-founder of the Carson Scholars Fund, which recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. His three books—Gifted Hands, Think Big, and The Big Picture—provide inspiration and insight for leading a successful life.

Rita R. Colwell is director of the National Science Foundation, an independent agency of the federal government that provides support for research and education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Before becoming director of the NSF in 1998, Dr. Colwell was president of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, a position she had held since 1991. She was appointed professor of microbiology at the University of Maryland in 1972. While at UM, Dr. Colwell also served as Director of the Sea Grant College and as Vice President for Academic Affairs for the University of Maryland System. A member of the National Science Board from 1984 to 1990, she has held several advisory positions in government, with private foundations, and in the international community. She was chairman of the board of governors of the American Academy of Microbiology for ten years. She has authored or co-authored 16 books and more than 500 scientific publications, and produced the award-winning film, Invisible Seas.

Lois Salmon Duffey is a highly regarded American horsewoman whose philanthropic interests are focused on the needs of children and youth. Since moving to Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1946, Mrs. Duffey has been keenly interested in preserving and sharing the advantages of country living, and promoting educational opportunities here. Decades ago she and her husband, Harry, founded a summer camp at their Corsica River farm for disadvantaged boys from Baltimore City, and since 1947 were influential supporters of The Gunston School in Centreville, MD. Today, Mrs. Duffey continues to support Gunston and other private educational institutions and organizations helping children and young people, particularly those on the Eastern Shore. Since 1965, when she and her husband created the Harry J. Duffey Jr. Scholarship, she has been a generous benefactor of Washington College.

Guggenheim and Domingo to be honored at Convocation

Chestertown, MD — Opera tenor Placido Domingo and four-time Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Charles Guggenheim will be honored at Washington College on Feb. 19 at the College’s Winter Convocation.

Domingo, who receives an honorary Doctor of Music, is a powerful force in the world of opera. Artistic director of the Washington Opera and co-founder and artistic adviser of the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, he has appeared in 114 different operatic roles, more than any other tenor in the annals of music. His broad repertoire includes Mozart, Verdi, Berlioz, Puccini, Wagner and Ginastera.

He has sung in every important opera house in the world, has made 93 recordings of full-length operas and more than 100 recordings overall, and has received eight Grammy Awards. As a conductor, he has led opera performances in such important opera theaters as the Metropolitan, London’s Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera, the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, and the Bastille Opera in Paris. He has also directed purely symphonic concerts. In an effort to support young singers, Domingo launched a vocal competition in 1993 that rewards winners with financial prizes and assures them of his personal involvement in furthering their careers.

Charles Guggenheim receives an Award of Excellence, given in recognition of his singular accomplishments in the field of documentary film. He made his first public film in 1954 and has gone on to produce more than 80. Guggenheim won Oscars for Nine From Little Rock (1964), about 1957 school integration there; Robert Kennedy Remembered (1968), shown at the 1968 Democratic National Convention; The Johnstown Flood (1989), commemorating the 100th anniversary of the disaster; and A Time for Justice (1995), documenting the civil-rights movement. In a recent interview with The Washingtonian, Guggenheim recalled the making of Monument to the Dream, his film about the building of the St. Louis Gateway Arch. "On Sundays I’d go down to the construction site with my family and say, ‘Look at that. I’m making a movie about it.’

Next to us would be a laborer with his family saying, ‘Look at that. We’re building this thing.’ " The film won the Venice Film Festival’s Gold Mercury Award, the first time the award was given to an American.

Guggenheim’s latest release, The First Freedom, features journalists’ personal recollections of the times they’ve put their lives and reputations on the line in the quest for truth. Writing in the Washington Post, movie critic Desson Howe called it "an extraordinary work which shows the inevitable tension between government and a free press . . . superbly edited and visually spirited."

The Convocation ceremony takes place in the Gibson Performing Arts Center at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19. A reception follows.

Librarian of Congress is Convocation Speaker at WC This Fall

Chestertown, MD — After a week of classes that begins on August 30, Washington College officially launches its new academic year on Thursday, September 9th with an evening Fall Convocation featuring the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James H. Billington.

Convocation begins at 7:30 p.m. in Tawes Theatre of the Gibson Performing Arts Center, and the public is cordially invited.

The Library of Congress, which celebrates its bicentennial in the year 2000, holds more than 115 million items in nearly every known language and format, from ancient Chinese woodblock prints to microchips. It holds the manuscript collections of 23 American presidents and the world’s largest collections of books, maps, music, and movies.

Dr. Billington is leading a major effort to direct the collected knowledge of the Library into the nation’s educational system. Millions of items for the Library’s core collections are now available for viewing on the World Wide Web. By early in the next century, the American Memory project will be disseminating the Library’s core collections in digitized form to every school and library in the country.

Dr. Billington is receiving the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his work at the Library and as an historian of Russian culture. He is the author of The Icon and the Axe, an interpretive history of Russian culture; Russia Transformed: Breakthrough to Hope, his eyewitness account of the failed coup attempt in 1991; and The Face of Russia, the companion book to the television series he wrote and narrated for airing on PBS. In 1992, he arranged and brought to the Library of Congress the first exhibition ever drawn from secret Soviet archives.