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U.S. Sen. Olympia J. Snowe

U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe to Speak at USM's 125th Commencement

Meet the Class of 2005

May 5 , 2005

U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe will be the speaker at the University of Southern Maine's 125th commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, in the Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland.

Snowe will receive a Distinguished Achievement Award for her contribution to public service. Snowe is the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of Congress and both houses of the state legislature, having served in both houses of the Maine Legislature from 1973 to 1978.

Honorary degrees will be conferred to three community members in recognition of their distinguished careers and contributions to the community. This year's recipients are: Barbro Osher, president of the Bernard Osher Foundation; Bernard Osher, a Maine native, philanthropist and founder of the Bernard Osher Foundation; and Kirk Pond, chairman of the Board of Directors of Fairchild Semiconductor International.

A native of Sweden, Barbro Osher is president and chair of the board of the Bernard Osher Foundation. Her work has helped improve the lives of many in Maine and California through post-secondary student scholarships and arts and humanities grants. A Consul General of Sweden in San Francisco, she also has used her leadership skills in support of her native Sweden and the preservation of Swedish heritage, serving as founder of the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, president of Positive Sweden/America, and owner and publisher of the 112-year-old West Coast newspaper, Vertkusten.

A successful businessman, community leader, and patron of the arts and education, Bernard Osher's generosity and philanthropy have affected countless organizations and individuals throughout Maine and California. A native of Biddeford, Maine and graduate of Bowdoin College, Osher's successful business career began with the management of his family's hardware and plumbing supplies store in Maine and continued with successful ownership and management of the fine art auction house Butterfield & Butterfield. Through the foundation bearing his name, founded in 1977, Osher has supported arts, education, environmental causes, and community projects, including funds for endowment of scholars throughout the world. The Foundation also supports selected programs in integrative medicine as well as a national network of Lifelong Learning Institutes on 48 university campuses from Maine to Hawaii, including USM.

Following management positions at Texas Instruments and Timex Corporation, Kirk Pond joined Fairchild Semiconductor in 1984 as vice president of Logic Business. Over the last 20 years later, Pond has held a variety of leadership positions, most recently as president and CEO. He also recognized an opportunity to re-launch Fairchild Semiconductor in the semi-conductor industry's first management-led buyout from former parent company National Semiconductor. Pond's leadership guided the company's public launch on the New York Stock Exchange and introduction of over 3,000 new products to market. Today, Pond serves as Fairchild Semiconductor's chairman of the board.

In recognition of significant academic or professional achievement and a strong commitment to public service, Distinguished Achievement Awards also will be presented to David B. Hawkes, of Falmouth, and Theresa Secord, of Waterville.

A successful business owner and consultant, 1966 USM graduate and a 1969 University of Maine School of Law graduate, Hawkes is known for his “behind the scenes” work on behalf of others. His volunteer work as an alumnus, including serving on the USM Board of Visitors, on University of Maine School of Law Board of Visitors, and chair of the USM Foundation Board of Directors, has generated enormous goodwill for the University. The long-time Falmouth resident has not restricted his pro bono work to the University, as evidenced by his 1994 Public Service Award from the Maine Society of Public Accountants. He has served on the boards of several Maine organizations and businesses, including Gould Academy, North Yarmouth Academy, Maine Heart Association, AAA Northern New England, American Ski Company, Maine Woods Company, and Nelson and Small Co.

After a successful geology career with Mobil Oil Corp., Secord, a member of the Penobscot Tribe, gave up her position to return to Maine to work for the Penobscot reservation as a tribal geologist. After the land claim settlement, she became concerned about the loss of Native American culture—especially that of wood-splint basketmaking and the disappearance of the Penobscot language. Today, Secord, a 1981 USM graduate, is executive director of the Maine Indian Basket Makers Alliance, an organization of which she helped establish. For her efforts in support of preservation of the culture of Maine's native people, in 2004 Secord became the first U.S. citizen to receive the Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life award in Geneva, Switzerland, from the United Nations Women's World Summit Foundation.

Retired faculty members who will be honored during Commencement with emeriti status for exemplary scholarship and public service are: Janet Burson, professor emerita of nursing; William Coogan, professor emeritus of political science, Lois V. Hinckley, associate professor emerita of classics; Stephen MacDonald, associate professor emeritus of mathematics; Waldeck E. Mainville Jr., professor emeritus of mathematics; James Roberts, associate professor emeritus of political science; and Minor Rootes, professor emeritus of theatre.

The class of 1955, in honor of their 50th reunion, will have 24 representatives joining the procession of graduates marching in the ceremony. Of the 1,632 students eligible for graduation, it is expected that nearly 1,000 graduates will march in the Civic Center. Among them is USM's student commencement speaker Aaron Keller of Harpswell.

Keller came to USM with a bachelor's degree in German and philosophy from the University of Connecticut. While at USM, he majored in chemistry and hopes to become a high school science teacher. During the summer of 2004, Keller held an internship at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Texas. He also served as Student Co-Chair of the 2005 Thinking Matters Conference, USM's annual two-day conference of student research and scholarship.

Editors Note: Graduates of the School of Law will be recognized at a separate ceremony, scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 28, at Merrill Auditorium in Portland.

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