Receiving honorary degrees are Donald V. Fites [Doctor of Laws], former chairman and chief executive officer of Caterpillar Corporation; Frank Galati [Doctor of Humane Letters], Tony Award-winning director and professor of performance studies at Northwestern University; and David William Tracy [Doctor of Humane Letters], Roman Catholic priest and Catholic theologian at the University of Chicago.
Craig Dykstra, vice president of religion at Lilly Endowment Inc., will deliver the Baccalaureate sermon.
Commencement speakers are two of the 147-member graduating class, Douglas E. Finn and Usman A. Tahir. Finn, a German and religion double major, is the son of Gary and Joan Finn of Carmel, Ind. Tahir, a history major, is the son of Mohammad and Shaheen Tahir of Indianapolis, Ind.
The weekend is also the occasion of the College's annual alumni reunions. Festivities begin with registration at 8:00 a.m. Friday, May 10 in Detchon Hall on the Wabash campus. Reunion classes of 1942, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972, and 1977 will be the guests of honor at receptions and dinners planned for 5:30 p.m. Friday.
The agenda for Saturday, May 11 includes:
12:00 p.m.—Awards Luncheon for all alumni and their families, trustees, faculty, and administrative personnel in the Allen Center. The program will include the presentation of the Senior Award of Merit, the Pete Vaughan Award, and the McLain-McTurnan-Arnold Excellence in Teaching and Research awards.
4 p.m.—President's Reception for all alumni and graduating seniors and their families hosted by President and Mrs. Andrew T. Ford in the Elston Homestead.
Throughout the weekend there will be a variety of cultural events on campus.
The Wabash Theater Department will present The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan, directed by Michael Abbott, associate professor of theater at Wabash. Performances are schedule for Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Ball Theater in the Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for non-Wabash students and are available at the Fine Arts Center Box Office or by calling 765-361-6411.
The Wabash Art Department will feature the "Wabash Senior Art Majors' Exhibition" in the Eric Dean Gallery in the Fine Arts Center. Featured will be Chad Hudson, Andrew Kaiser, Clayton Osborne, and Ben Prickel. Gallery hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Sunday.
The Wabash Bookstore will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 2:30 p.m. Sunday.