New Mexico Governor to be 2003 Commencement Speaker

Author: Edward Pickering

At Monday's faculty meeting President John McCardell named New Mexico Governor William Blaire Richardson as this year's commencement speaker.
In the course of his long and varied career Richarson has held public office, worked in the private sector and taught in academia.
Best known for his work in public service, Governor Richardson began his career as representative of the 3rd Congressional District in northern New Mexico, an office he held for 15 years. In 1997 Richardon served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. The following year President Clinton named him Secretary of Energy. Finally, on Jan. 1 of this year Richardson took office as Governor of New Mexico.
A talented diplomat, Richardson has represented the United States in a variety of capacities through the years. During his tenure as congressman Richardson acted as a special envoy on a number of international assignments. He negotiated and won the release of American servicemen, and prisoners of war in North Korea, Iraq and Cuba. While Ambassador to the United Nations, Richardson advocated human rights and democracy, fought terrorism and the proliferaton of biological weapons, promoted the rights of women worldwide and drew attention to the issue of global warming.
In recognition of his diplomatic work and concern for human rights abuses Richardson was nominated four times (1995, 1997, 2000, 2001) for the Noble Peace Prize.
Richardson tackled a number of issues during his tenure as Secretary of Engery under then President Bill Clinton. He worked to regulate gas prices, improve security at nuclear weapons laboratories and advocated renewable technologies and a greater dependence from foreign sources of energy. Fiscal responsibility and accountability were high on his agenda.
As a Representative Richardson won every election with more than 60 percent of the vote. The creation of the Jemez National Reservation area ranks high among his many achievements dating from this period. Richardson also fought to protect the Rio Grande River and San Juan Basin. During one campaign for Congress Richardson set a world record by shaking over 8,000 hands in a single day. While a Representative Richardson held 2,700 town hall meetings, an average of 180 per year.
Beginning in 2001 Richardson taught at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and the United World College in Montezuma, N.M. Around this time he also assumed the chairmanship of Freedom House, a private, non-partisan organization that promotes democracy worldwide.
Secretary of the College Eric Davis considers Governor Richardson particulary well suited to deliver the commencement address at Middlebury College.
Davis points out that Richardson graduated from a NESCAC college, Tufts, where he received his a B.A. and a Master's in International Relations from the Fletcher School.
In addition, Richardson, said Davis, possesses "strong interest and experience in international and environmental policy- two of Middlebury's 'peaks of excellence.'"
Richardson, Davis continued, has proven a loyal friend and supporter of the Bread Loaf School of English, which has a summer program in Santa Fe, N.M., among other locales.
In the interval of time between his departure from the Clinton administration and his election as governor, Richardson was a faculty member at the United World College in Montezuma, N.M., a school from which a number of Middlebury College's Davis-UWC Fellows have come.
Finally, and most obviously, Richardson's distinguished career in public office (15 years in the House of Representatives, 4 years in the Clinton administration, and Governorship) would make him a formidable speaker for any occasion.
Six others will receive honorary degrees along with Governor Richardson at this year's commencement excercises. These are, as announced by McCardell at Monday's faculty meeting: Frederic W. Allen (Doctor of Laws), Deborah Bial (Doctor of Humane Letters), David Herbert MacDonald (Doctor of Letters), Eve Ensler '75 (Doctor of Letters), Julie Johnson Kidd '67 (Doctor of Humane Letters), and Ruth Stone (Doctor of Letters). Bial founded the Posse program.
Past commencement speakers have included Dana Sobel (2002), Fred Rogers (2001), Lech Walesa (2000), John Wallach '64 (1999), Barbara Johnson (1987), David McCollough (1986) and Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1976).