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DALLAS (ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ) – George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, will deliver the address at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’s Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 16, in Moody Coliseum on the main campus.

George W. Bush at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ

ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ expects to award more than 2,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees in the University-wide ceremony.

“This Commencement is especially noteworthy because 2015 is the 100-year anniversary of ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’s opening. So it is fitting that we should hear from a president who led our nation and the world during historic times and is a valued member of the campus community,” said ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ President R. Gerald Turner.

This is the first time that an ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Commencement speaker has returned for a second presentation. Mr. Bush’s first Commencement speech at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ was in 1999, when he was governor of Texas.

George W. Bush has been a long-time member of the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ family through his marriage to Laura, an ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ alumna, who is currently a member of the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Board of Trustees. However, since his 2007 decision to locate his Presidential ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ at ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, he has become an active member of the University community, attending events and visiting classes.

“The Presidential ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ are enjoying numerous partnerships through joint programming and faculty research as well as internships for ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ students,” Turner said. “Through the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, more than 700,000 people have visited ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, most of whom never before would have come to our campus. We are grateful for the resources and benefits of the Presidential ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ and President Bush’s participation as Commencement speaker during this special time.”

 The George W. Bush Presidential ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ, which includes the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute, has partnered on projects with various ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ academic centers, among them the Cox School of Business, the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development, the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ for Presidential History and the John Goodwin Tower ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ for Political Studies in Dedman College. Focusing on education reform, human freedom, economic growth and global health, the Bush Institute has sponsored several symposia, along with programs of its Military Service Initiative and Global Women’s Initiatives. Many of these programs are open to ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ faculty and students. ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ faculty members helped to develop a curriculum for the Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative Fellowship program involving participants from the Middle East. As part of the Bush Institute’s global health initiative, several students were selected to travel to Zambia for volunteer work and research at a clinic for victims of cervical cancer and HIV-AIDS.

George W. Bush received his bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. After a successful career in business, including as an owner of the Texas Rangers, he was elected governor of Texas in 1994. When he was re-elected in November 1998, he became the first governor in Texas history to be elected to consecutive four-year terms. He is the author of two New York Times number one bestsellers, “Decision Points” and “41: A Portrait of my Father.”

Following the University-wide Commencement, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’s schools and departments will hold individual ceremonies throughout the day to present degrees and honor graduates.

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ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ is a nationally ranked private university in Dallas founded 100 years ago. Today, ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ enrolls approximately 11,000 students, who benefit from the academic opportunities and international reach of seven degree-granting schools.

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