Former Governor Jeb Bush and William E. Simon, Jr. to Receive Honorary Degrees at AMU Commencement

4/30/2012 - 12:46 PM PST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
Catholic PRWire

AVE MARIA, FL (April 30, 2012) � The Honorable Jeb Bush, former two-term governor of Florida and the subject of much speculation as a potential running mate for Governor Mitt Romney, will address the 2012 graduating class of Ave Maria University on May 5, 2012, at 10 AM in the Tom Golisano Fieldhouse. Joining Governor Bush and also receiving an honorary doctorate degree will be William E. Simon, Jr., co-chairman of William E. Simon & Sons, LLC, a global merchant bank headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Jim Towey, president of Ave Maria University, will preside at the eighth commencement ceremony along with Chancellor Thomas S. Monaghan, founder of the university. Degrees will be conferred upon 175 graduates, including 138 undergraduates.

�Our graduates deserve the best, and Governor Bush will provide the perfect conclusion to their Ave Maria education and leave them with a lasting memory. I look forward to having him on campus and hearing his remarks,� Towey said.

Governor Bush will receive an honorary doctorate degree from Ave Maria University because of his noteworthy public service to the State of Florida where he presided over an era of economic prosperity, made Florida�s public school system more accountable and productive, and successfully navigated the aftermaths of a series of devastating hurricanes. Governor Bush earned a bachelor�s degree in Latin American Affairs at the University of Texas and co-authored Profiles in Character, which chronicles the lives of 14 Floridians of distinction.

William E. Simon, Jr. earned his bachelor�s degree from Williams College and his law degree from Boston College, and has served on numerous governing boards in education. He was Republican nominee for the governor of California in 2002, running as a pro-life candidate, and continues to enjoy considerable influence in the state. He and his wife established a foundation that helps needy youngsters in urban areas. Simon will briefly address the graduates after receiving his honorary degree. He and Ave Maria University professor and trustee Michael Novak authored Living the Call: An Introduction to the Lay Vocation.

�Commencement is a very exciting time for everyone at Ave Maria University, as we both recognize the achievements of our graduates and honor worthy individuals whose dedication to the Catholic faith makes them role models for our students,� said AMU Chancellor, Thomas S. Monaghan.
Reverend Matthew Lamb is professor of theology and the chair of the Theology Department and will celebrate the baccalaureate Mass that will be held in the Ave Maria Oratory on May 4, 2012, at 5 PM.

Ave Maria University has two campuses. The Florida campus has 700 undergraduate students and 113 graduate students. The Latin America campus in San Marcos, Nicaragua, founded in 2000, has 435 undergraduate students. Its commencement exercises will take place on May 19, 2012, at which time 59 graduating seniors will receive diplomas.

EDITOR�S NOTE: Media interested in attending the commencement exercises should contact Deacon Forrest Wallace at 239.280.1678 or forrest.wallace@avemaria.edu to confirm attendance or arrange interviews.

Contact

Ave Maria University
http://www.avemaria.edu FL, 34142 US
Forrest Wallace - Dir. Public Relations, 239.280.1678

Keywords

Jeb Bush, Ave Maria, Jim Towey, William E Simon

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