Baseball commissioner to speak at spring commencement

Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig will deliver the charge to the graduates at each of the four University of Wisconsin–Madison spring commencement undergraduate ceremonies on Saturday and Sunday, May 16-17, at the Kohl Center, 601 W. Dayton St.

The Milwaukee native was elected the ninth commissioner of baseball on July 9, 1998, by a unanimous vote of the 30 Major League Baseball club owners.

Selig received a bachelor of science degree in American institutions (political science and American history combined) from the University of Wisconsin in 1956. After his graduation, he served two years in the Armed Forces and then returned to Milwaukee to work in the automobile business with his father.

The avid lifelong baseball fan later went on to become the owner and president of the Milwaukee Brewers. He served in a dual role as club president and chair of Major League Baseball’s executive council prior to becoming commissioner.

Selig has served on the boards of visitors of UW–Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs and the Department of Political Science. He is an emeritus member of the board of directors of the Green Bay Packers and is currently on the boards of directors of Marcus Corp. and Oil-Dri Corp. of America.

Throughout his career, Selig has received numerous honors and awards for his active role in baseball, in the Milwaukee community and throughout the nation.

There are two annual awards named in his honor: the Allan H. (Bud) Selig Executive Leadership Award, presented by the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, and the Allan H. (Bud) Selig Mentoring Award, presented by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics and the John McLendon Minority Scholarship Foundation.

The 2009 spring commencement ceremonies are scheduled as follows:

• Friday, May 15, 5:30 p.m.: Honorary degrees and all doctoral and professional degrees, including Doctor of Philosophy; Doctor of Musical Arts; Doctor of Juridical Science; Juris Doctor; Doctor of Medicine; Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; Doctor of Pharmacy; Doctor of Audiology; Master of Fine Arts; Master of Laws; Master of Legal Institutions; and Master of Public Health.
• Saturday, May 16, 10 a.m.: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, and the schools of Education, Human Ecology, Medicine and Public Health, Nursing, and Pharmacy.
• Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m.: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the School of Business and the College of Engineering.
• Sunday, May 17, 10 a.m.: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Letters and Science in majors A through H (African Languages and Literature through History of Science).
• Sunday, May 17, 2 p.m.: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Letters and Science in majors I through Z (International Public Affairs through Zoology).

Approximately 5,000 students are eligible to receive degrees this spring.

Each ceremony is approximately one and a half hours long. All five will be streamed live via the university’s Web site. Windows Media Player and a broadband connection are required to view the ceremonies. Streaming will not begin until the start time of each ceremony.

No tickets are required for admission to the ceremonies.

Free shuttle bus service between the Lot 17 ramp at Camp Randall and the Kohl Center will be available from 3:30-8 p.m. on May 15 and from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on May 16 and 17. The buses will run approximately every 10-15 minutes.