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By Larry B. Dendy
ldendy@uga.edu
Gov. Roy E. Barnes will speak at spring semester Commencement May 12.
Barnes, who earned bachelor’s and law degrees at UGA, will speak at the ceremony for undergraduates at 9:30 a.m. in Sanford Stadium. In case of rain, the ceremony will be held in Stegeman Coliseum in two sessions, at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m.
Commencement for students receiving graduate degrees will be at 2:30 p.m. in Stegeman Coliseum. The speaker will be announced later.
The May ceremonies are for students who complete degree requirements at the end of spring semester. Typically, about 3,500 students are eligible to receive bachelor’s and professional degrees in the spring undergraduate ceremony, and about 700 are eligible to receive graduate degrees. Final numbers won’t be available until spring semester final exams are over just prior to Commencement.
Barnes, a native of Mableton and life-long resident of Cobb County, was elected Georgia’s 80th governor in 1998 after serving 16 years in the Georgia Senate and five years in the state House of Representatives. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from UGA in 1969 and a law degree in 1972.
“Roy Barnes continues to serve his alma mater and provide leadership to Georgia with wisdom and distinction,” says President Michael F. Adams. “The members of the Class of 2001 and their families will be privileged to hear his message of challenge and inspiration as they take the next step into their futures.”
In his first year in office, Barnes persuaded the Georgia General Assembly to create the Georgia Regional Transportation Agency to develop strategies on transportation issues and urban sprawl. He also obtained legislative passage of a patients’ bill of rights that allows people to choose their own doctors outside managed health-care systems, and created a consumer-advocate position in state government to deal with insurance rate increases.
Last year, Barnes focused on education improvement, passing a sweeping reform act that requires smaller classes and increased teacher accountability, provides merit pay for teachers and abolishes teacher tenure.
Barnes was elected to the Georgia Senate in 1974 at the age of 26. At the time, he was one of the youngest people ever elected to the state legislature. While in the Senate, he was chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and was floor leader for former Gov. Joe Frank Harris.
He ran for governor in 1990, placing third behind Zell Miller and Andrew Young. In 1992 he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, where he served until winning election as governor in 1998. In the house, he was vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee and a member of the Rules Committee.
The spring Commencement will be the first of three graduation exercises UGA will hold during 2001. Ceremonies are scheduled Aug. 4 for students who complete degree requirements at the end of summer semester and Dec. 15 for students who complete requirements at the end of fall semester. |
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