U.S. presidential adviser Paul Begala will be the speaker at this year's LBJ School graduation convocation. The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, at 11 a.m. in Bates Recital Hall.
Begala, a native Texan and UT graduate, is a White House strategist who has taught at the university and worked as a private consultant for Public Strategies, Inc., in Austin. He was one of Clinton's top advisers during the first presidential campaign in 1992. Last August he returned to the president's staff to help build public support for Clinton's second-term agenda. Since returning to the White House, Begala has emerged as a key strategist who has helped the White House during a tumultuous year.
This year, 92 students will get their diplomas from the LBJ School. Of these, 22 will be graduating from a joint degree program.
After the convocation, there will be a reception at the Thompson Conference Center for the new graduates and their families and friends.
On the same day, LBJ School students who are graduating may also attend the university's ceremony for master's students at 8 a.m. in Bass Concert Hall and the university-wide 115th commencement at 8 p.m. on the South Mall. This year's keynote speaker at the evening ceremony is U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Hutchison, the first woman to represent the state of Texas in the U.S. Senate, will add her perspective to the commencement theme--"We're Texas." The theme celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Texas and the university.
"I am very pleased that Senator Hutchison has accepted our invitation to speak at commencement 1998," said President Ad Interim Peter Flawn. "As a national leader, she has been a strong supporter of higher education. As a Texan and a distinguished alumna of the university, she embodies the theme 'We're Texas.' "
This year's LBJ School commencement committee, which is responsible for organizing the graduation program and selecting the class gift, is composed of Patricia Osorio-O'Dea, George Purcell, and Sarah Wheat.