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President Scott congratulates 2004 graduate |
Adelphi University Holds 108th Commencement: New York State Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye Addresses Graduates
Garden City, NY
May 17, 2004
Adelphi University held its 108th Commencement on Sunday, May 16, confirming over 2,600 graduates at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels from the institution's seven schools and colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Nursing, the School of Social Work, the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies, the School of Business, University College, and the School of Education.
NYS Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye with Board of Trustees Chair Steven N. Fischer (l) and President Scott (r) |
The Honorable Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York, delivered the Commencement address. In her remarks, she acknowledged the 50th anniversary of the watershed Brown v. Board of Education ruling, describing it as the beginning of the civil rights movement and noting the significance of its focus on education.
"Brown was the result of two decades of legal strategy to put an end to racial segregation in the United States, and starting with desegregating the schools was a brilliant idea. Education, after all, is the key to effective citizenship… [and] the key to success in our society. Education unlocks the doors of opportunity."
Howard Dodson
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Thomas Dixon Lovely '54 |
She spoke of the enormous impact that the Brown decision had on her life and career, and urged Adelphi graduates to see its anniversary as a message to them, reminding them of their "important responsibility to help others."
Appointed New York State's Chief Judge in 1993, Judge Kaye is the first woman to occupy the post and was the first woman to serve on the State Court of Appeals when she joined in 1983. She is widely known for mandating the overhaul of New York State's education funding formula in her landmark 2003 ruling that the state's current system inadequate to provide New York City children with a "sound basic education." Her decision set a precedent by defining an adequate education as a "meaningful high school education" rather than an eighth-grade education.
Honorary degrees were also given to Howard Dodson, chief of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of The New York Public Library, and Thomas Dixon Lovely '54, retired chairman and CEO of Fidelity Bank and trustee emeritus of Adelphi. Adelphi honored Robert R. McMillan '57, a partner in Fischbein Badillo Wagner Harding law firm and former University trustee, as the first recipient of its Ruth Stratton Harley Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.
Photos: William Baker
About Adelphi University: Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs—The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, Robert B. Willumstad School of Business, the Schools of Nursing and Social Work—the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 41 states and 60 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.
Media Contact
For additional information, please contact:
Lori Duggan Gold
Executive Director of
External Relations and
Assistant to the President
p - 516.877.3693
f - 516.877.3266
e - duggangold@adelphi.edu
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Bonnie Eissner
Communications Director
p - 516.877.3697
e - eissner@adelphi.edu
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