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Headlines at Hopkins
News Release

Office of News and Information
Johns Hopkins University
901 South Bond Street, Suite 540
Baltimore, Maryland 21231
Phone: 443-287-9960 | Fax: 443-287-9898

April 28, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dennis O'Shea
443-287-9960
dro@jhu.edu


Bill Cosby to Speak to Graduating
Johns Hopkins Seniors

Cosby, Ruth Bader Ginsberg among honorary degree recipients

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby will address seniors graduating from The Johns Hopkins University's schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering at their diploma ceremony at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, May 20.

Cosby will also be awarded the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters.

The ceremony will take place at Homewood Field, the stadium on the northern end of the university's Homewood campus at 3400 N. Charles St. in Baltimore. There will be a press section for working print and broadcast reporters and photographers on the playing surface of Homewood Field, at stage right [audience left]. Identification is required; prior notification of intention to cover the ceremony is preferred. Limited press parking will be available; please notify us in advance if you need parking. See above for contact information.

Earlier on May 20, university president William R. Brody will speak at the university-wide commencement ceremony. This ceremony will begin at 9:15 a.m. at Homewood Field. Honorary degrees will be awarded at that event to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and to two former Johns Hopkins faculty members, John G.A. Pocock, the university's Harry C. Black Professor of History Emeritus, and Hamilton O. Smith, a co-winner of the 1978 Nobel Prize in Medicine who served on the School of Medicine faculty from 1967 to 1998.

Noteworthy speakers at other Johns Hopkins commencement-related events — at various times and locations from Wednesday, May 19, through Friday, May 21 — include John Cameron, the Alfred Blalock Distinguished Service Professor of Surgery at The Johns Hopkins University who will address School of Medicine graduates; Nicholas Burns, U.S. ambassador to NATO, who will speak to graduates of the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies; and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Corigliano, who will speak to graduates of the Peabody Conservatory. The ceremonies mark the end of the university's 128th academic year. Details on the university's various ceremonies are listed below.

About the Graduating Class

The total number of earned degrees, certificates and diplomas awarded is expected to be about 5,819, as follows: 1,334 bachelor's degrees (including 976 seniors graduating from the schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering); 3,692 master's degrees; 476 doctoral degrees (115 of which are medical degrees); and 317 certificates and diplomas.

About the Ceremonies

The university as a whole and its eight academic divisions will hold the following commencement events:

University-wide Commencement Ceremony. Thursday, May 20, 9:15 a.m. to approximately noon, Homewood Field, Homewood campus. Speaker: William R. Brody, president, The Johns Hopkins University. During this ceremony, all university degrees are conferred by the university president. The only students who receive their diplomas at this time, however, are doctoral students. The ceremony also recognizes new members of the Society of Scholars. At this time, three honorary degrees of doctor of humane letters will be awarded. [See above for details on honorary degree recipients].

Arts and Sciences/Engineering Undergraduate Diploma Ceremony. Thursday, May 20, 1:45 p.m., Homewood Field, Homewood campus. Speaker: Actor and comedian William H. "Bill" Cosby Jr. During this ceremony, an anticipated 976 seniors from the schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering, who will officially have graduated when degrees were conferred in the morning ceremony, cross the stage to shake hands with the president. Afterwards, they receive their diplomas. Cosby was invited by the senior class to be the speaker at this ceremony. A bio of Cosby is available at www.brooksinternational.com/bill_cosby.htm.

The Bloomberg School of Public Health Diploma Award Ceremony. Wednesday, May 19, 7:30 p.m., Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Ernest Crofoot, Maryland-based activist for seniors, labor and health care reform.

G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering Graduate Ceremony. Wednesday, May 19, 7 p.m., Homewood Field, Homewood campus. Speaker: Aris Melissaratos, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.


The School of Medicine Diploma Award Ceremony. Thursday, May 20, 7:30 p.m., Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St., Baltimore. Speaker: John Cameron, the Alfred Blalock Distinguished Service Professor of Surgery at The Johns Hopkins University.


The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies Diploma Award Ceremony. Thursday, May 20, 3 p.m., Constitution Hall, 18th and D Sts., N.W., Washington, D.C. Speaker: Nicholas Burns, SAIS graduate and U.S. ambassador to NATO.


The School of Nursing Diploma Award Ceremony. Thursday, May 20, 1:45 p.m., Shriver Hall Auditorium, Homewood campus. Speaker: May L. Wykle, dean of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.


The Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Master's Diploma Award Ceremony. Friday, May 21, 5:30 p.m., Homewood Field, Homewood campus. Speaker: Daniel Weiss, James B. Knapp Dean, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.


The School of Professional Studies in Business and Education Undergraduate and Graduate Diploma Award Ceremony. Thursday, May 20, 7:30 p.m., Homewood Field, Homewood campus. Speaker: Marc Steiner, executive vice president for broadcast and production and host, the Marc Steiner Show, WYPR-FM.


The Peabody Conservatory Diploma Award Ceremony. Thursday, May 20, 8 p.m., Friedberg Hall, One East Mount Vernon Place. Speaker: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Corigliano.



Johns Hopkins University news releases can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.jhu.edu/news_info/news/
   Information on automatic e-mail delivery of science and medical news releases is available at the same address.


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