They might not rival the president of the United States, but the governor and lieutenant governor of Oklahoma are at least as relevant as the chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Gov. Brad Henry and Lt. Gov. Jari Askins are slated to deliver the commencement address for the more than 3,000 graduates in the Class of 2008 on May 3. Henry will address the morning ceremony and Askins will speak in the afternoon, OSU Communications Director Gary Shutt said.
“It is a great honor to serve as the commencement speaker for Oklahoma State University,” Henry said in a statement. “I look forward to talking to students, their families and the entire OSU community when I visit Stillwater in May. Graduation is an exciting time for everyone, and I know I will enjoy sharing the experience with the OSU family.”
Former Gov. George Nigh was the latest sitting governor to speak at commencement in 1982. President George W. Bush addressed the Class of 2006, and Justice Frank Williams advised the Class of 2007.
“We’re very, very pleased that both [the governor] and the lieutenant governor can be a part of our spring ceremonies,” interim OSU President Marlene Strathe said.
Henry, D-Shawnee, has served as governor since January 2003. He took office in the midst of a budget crisis but forged an agreement among legislative leaders that shielded education and health care from massive cuts, according to a biography on his Web site.
Henry also successfully fought to let voters decide whether to establish an education lottery to benefit the state’s classrooms; voters overwhelmingly passed the lottery in November 2004.
Askins, D-Duncan, is the first woman to become Democratic leader of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
Duncan served for eight years as a judge of the District Court. She also served as the chairwoman of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board and a legal counsel in the governor’s office, according to her Web site.
The OSU president and his or her leadership team choose graduation speakers, Shutt said. The president and leadership team, which is an informal group consisting of the president’s cabinet, Shutt said, discuss who they think will be an effective speaker for the commencement ceremony.
However, students and faculty are welcome to make suggestions as well. The best way to submit a suggestion would be through the Student Government Association, Shutt said.
“The speaker is usually a political figure or an accomplished alumni,” Shutt said.
The person normally has some kind of connection with the university and is contracted on a voluntary basis, he said.
Speakers are usually booked six months to one year in advance to give the intended speaker enough time to commit to the occasion because the prospects tend to be busy, Shutt said.
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