Information courtesy of Texas A&M University:
Mary Matalin, a prominent figure in three different presidential administrations who now serves as a radio and television host focusing on governmental and political issues, in addition to being a best-selling author, will be the speaker for Texas A&M University’s mid-year commencement convocation, announced President R. Bowen Loftin.
Commencement convocation is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 in Rudder Auditorium. Graduation exercises are set for the next two days at Reed Arena in five separate ceremonies, with each devoted to the graduates of designated academic colleges selected to obtain a balance of degree recipients.
“We are delighted that Ms. Matalin has accepted our invitation to be Texas A&M’s commencement convocation speaker,” Loftin noted. “She brings a unique blend of experiences, ranging from public service at the highest level over an extended and exciting period of time to roles as a political consultant and commentator. She is also a best-selling author who has served in and to advance higher education from varying perspectives, including being a mother of two daughters approaching college age. We are confident that she will bring a message of keen interest to our degree candidates, their families and friends, and others who take advantage of this opportunity to hear her speak.”
Matalin served in the Reagan, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush administrations and was a counselor to then-Vice President Dick Cheney. She currently serves as a CNN political contributor and co-host of the national radio show “Both Sides Now” with Arianna Huffington. She and her husband, James Carville, who is also well-known in news and political circles, co-authored “All’s Fair in Love, War and Running for President.” She also wrote “Letters to My Daughters.”
She and Carville are 2013 NFL Super Bowl Host Committee co-chairmen and co-chairs for the Loyola University of New Orleans Centennial. Matalin serves as a visiting distinguished lecturer at Loyola and is a member of Tulane University’s President’s Council and the boards of The Water Institute of the Gulf, the Academy of the Sacred Heart and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. She and Carville are the parents of two daughters, Matalin, 17, and Emerson, 14.
Commencement convocation is a relatively new Texas A&M tradition in which all members of a graduating class have the opportunity to assemble together, along with family members and friends, in an informal setting. It is a prelude to the degree candidates formally receiving their diplomas the following two days in ceremonies at Reed Arena. For a listing of times for the ceremonies that include specific colleges, go to http://graduation.tamu.edu/ceremon.html.
Commencement convocation and the graduation ceremonies are open to the public.