THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 11, 1995 TAG: 9502110098
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PHILIP WALZER AND LEE BANVILLE, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Former President George Bush will speak at the College of William and Mary's graduation May 14, the school announced Friday.
``Any time a current or former president is on campus for a major event, it's an honor for the college,'' President Timothy J. Sullivan said Friday.
``We have a political system that makes critical decisions for the future of our country. It's managed by Democrats and Republicans. We welcome both.''
Sullivan said Bush told him he ``always admired the college because of the quality of its students and graduates.''
Bush is the latest in a string of high-profile speakers to visit the college in the last two years. Prince Charles was the featured guest at William and Mary's Charter Day celebration, marking its 300th anniversary, in 1993. Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of England, is chancellor of the college. She spoke there in November during homecoming activities and visited again for Charter Day celebrations Feb. 4.
In 1993, the college had hoped to get President Clinton for commencement, but instead got comedian Bill Cosby. Sullivan declined to say whether the college had sought Clinton this year.
Students had mixed reactions to the announcement. ``I'm ecstatic; Bill Cosby would have been humorous, but getting to see a president of the United States will really make graduation memorable,'' said Brian Colburn, a senior from Springfield.
But Rachel Paiva, a senior from Annandale, complained: ``Oh great - another conservative. I think this school has come up with every conservative in the modern world - first Margaret Thatcher, then George Will and now George Bush.'' Will, a conservative newspaper columnist, spoke at last year's commencement.
The top choices for speaker in a senior poll were Democrats, according to senior class president Kevin Turner, who is from outside Lynchburg. Clinton ranked first, Vice President Al Gore second and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton third, he said.
But Turner said college officials feared they would again have problems getting Clinton, so they turned to Bush, who himself had turned down an invitation in 1988. ``He had remembered it and wanted to make up for it,'' Turner said.
``I think, on the whole, students have been fairly pleased,'' he said. ``It will be interesting to see what he has to say on the state of America, since he has not spoken much since leaving office.''
The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. in William and Mary Hall.
``Commencement is a ceremony for the graduates and their families,'' college spokesman Ray Betzner said. ``We fill William and Mary Hall with the graduates and their families.'' by CNB