Baccalaureate Speaker: Marc Morial

This year’s Baccalaureate speaker will be Marc H. Morial, C ’80, president and CEO since 2003 of the National Urban League. The Baccalaureate Ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 14 in Irvine Auditorium at 1:30 p.m. and at 3 p.m.

From Hurricane Katrina and the extension of the Voting Rights Act to creating jobs and housing through effective economic strategies; he is respected as one of the nation’s foremost experts on a wide range of issues related to cities and the people who reside in them.  He has also been recognized by the Non-Profit Times as one of America’s top 50 non-profit executives and has been named by Ebony Magazine as one of the 100 “Most Influential Blacks in America.”

Prior to joining National Urban League, Mr. Morial served two four-year terms (1994-2002) as Mayor of New Orleans. As mayor, he maintained a 70 percent approval rating, reduced crime by 60 percent and reformed a corrupt police department, built $400 million in city infrastructure improvements including 15,000 new home owners, 200 miles of streets, a new sports arena and expansion of the convention center. He also brought the NBA’s Hornets basketball team to New Orleans. Mr. Morial was also president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  Before becoming mayor, Mr. Morial served as a Louisiana State Senator for two years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Penn,  a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and honorary doctorate degrees from Xavier University and the University of South Carolina Upstate.