Thousands Receive College Diplomas
by May 17, 1999 12:00 am 49 views
Thousands of graduates went through commencement ceremonies at area colleges in May.
A total of 3,157 University of Arkansas students earned degrees late last year and this spring. All of them were eligible to participate in May commencement ceremonies because the university holds the event only once a year. UA officials believe about 2,500 actually participated in the May graduation ceremonies.
At the UA, 2,169 students received bachelor’s degrees since commencement in May 1998. Of that number, the majority, 855, were from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. The UA also awarded 744 master’s degrees (including eight master of law degrees), 137 total law degrees, 110 doctoral degrees and five specialist degrees.
The UA awarded two honorary doctor of laws degrees at its All-University Commencement ceremony May 8. The recipients were former U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark, and Frederick W. Smith, who founded Federal Express in 1971.
Bumpers, who served in the Senate for more than 24 years, is now serving as a distinguished professor of policy at the UA.
Smith is president and CEO of FDX Corp., a $16 billion global transportation and logistics holding company formed last year when Federal Express acquired Caliber System Inc.
In addition to the All-University Commencement, the UA’s separate colleges hold separate commencement ceremonies. Among speakers at the separate ceremonies was Barger Tygart, retired president of J.C. Penney Co., speaking at the ceremony for graduates of the Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration.
John Brown University, a Christian college in Siloam Springs, awarded 249 degrees to students from 26 states and 10 countries in ceremonies May 8.
JBU’s commencement speaker was Alvin O. Austin, president of LeToureau University in Longview, Texas.
This spring, NorthWest Arkansas Community College graduated its largest class since the college was founded in 1990.
In a May 7 commencement ceremony, 262 students at received degrees, certificates and diplomas from NWACC. Of that number, 51 students received associate of arts degrees and 37 received associate of science degrees.
The commencement speaker at NWACC was Marilyn Smith, director of the Service-Learning Corp. for the American Association of Community Colleges.