Renowned journalist Jim Lehrer will be the commencement speaker at Tufts' 149th graduation ceremony this May. The selection of a figure well-known in academia is a marked contrast to last year's choice of comedian Bill Cosby.
Jim Lehrer will speak to graduates from all of Tufts schools at the beginning of the commencement ceremonies on May 20.
"When I heard it was Jim Lehrer, I jumped for joy," Provost Sol Gittleman said. "It made me proud of my University. He's the most responsible journalist in the United States."
Many of the individual schools have already lined up speakers for their subsequent ceremonies. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will give the address for the Fletcher School. Wendell Phillips Award recipient Thea Lavin will be the only student to speak in the undergraduate ceremony.
Gittleman said that Lehrer does not typically speak at commencement ceremonies and was recruited to speak at Tufts by friends of the University. His last commencement address was in June of 1998 at the University of Washington.
Lehrer served as the moderator for nine of the nationally televised presidential debates over the last four elections, including the three debates last fall between presidential candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore. According to Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, Lehrer's perspective is especially relevant "in a year when the press played such an important role on the election."
Lehrer's 'day job', "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," is considered a high-level discussion of current events in an era of infotainment, though the PBS show does not attract high ratings. Lehrer has received numerous awards for his journalistic excellence and was the recipient of the National Humanities Medal, presented in 1999 by then-president Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Representatives from the Board of Trustees and University President John DiBiaggio were responsible for the selection of the commencement speaker. Typically, the committee looks for candidates with name recognition who are also highly regarded in academic circles.
"I think you have to have a mix," Reitman said. "With Lehrer, you achieve that sort of thing."
While some seniors said that Billy Cosby was a better pick, and had to pause to remember where they had heard or seen Jim Lehrer, others were impressed with the University's selection.
"I think it's great to have such an important and active figure come to speak at Tufts," senior Jennifer Dunn said. "He's involved in so many different fields and I think that reflects the interdisciplinary focus of the University."
Jim Lehrer started his journalism career in 1956 as a reporter for The Dallas Morning News and then The Dallas Times-Herald. His success as a newspaperman gained him a spotlight in public television, leading him to serve as a public affairs coordinator for PBS and a member of PBS's Journalism Advisory Board.
A fellowship position at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting prompted Leher to join the National Public Affairs Center for Television (NPACT) as a correspondent. By working with NPACT, Lehrer became acquainted with Robert MacNeil, who he teamed up with to provide live PBS coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings. Lehrer was also the PBS anchor selected to cover the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon.
From 1975 to 1982, Lehrer was the Washington correspondent for the half-hour Robert MacNeil Report, which premiered on WNET New York and won over 30 awards for journalistic excellence.
Lehrer has authored twelve novels, two memoirs, and three plays. His latest book, The Special Prisoner, was published last May.
The University's official announcement will be made sometime today through its E-News website, www.tufts.edu/communications.
