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Week of 12 May 1998 Vol. I, No. 31 Feature Article Washington Gov. Gary Locke to speak at Commencement Gary Locke Gov. Gary Locke (LAW'75) of Washington will deliver the main address during Boston University's 125th Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 17. BU President Jon Westling made the announcement May 1 at the annual Senior Brunch in the George Sherman Union's Metcalf Hall. In 1996 when Locke was elected governor of Washington, he became the first Asian-American in the continental United States to hold such an office. "Gov. Locke has an important perspective on economic development and world trade," said Westling. "He's also earned a splendid reputation for policies aimed at improving the level of academic achievement and increasing educational opportunities in his state." Westling also announced that former U.S. Congressman Floyd H. Flake will deliver the annual Baccalaureate address on Commencement day during a 9 a.m. service at Marsh Chapel. The main Commencement ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. on Nickerson Field. Both Locke and Flake will receive honorary degrees, which will also be awarded to Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson and entertainer Donald O'Connor. The widow of President Lyndon Baines Johnson is well known for her environmental work. She has also served as honorary chairman of the Head Start Program, which was formed during her husband's administration. Donald O'Connor has been in show business literally since birth -- he was born into a circus family in 1925. He made his Hollywood debut in 1938 and has won numerous awards throughout his career, including the Will Rogers Memorial Award for Humanitarian Service. Heather Vinson: student speaker -- and storyteller by Brian Fitzgerald When student speaker Heather Vinson (UNI'98) walks up to the podium during Commencement exercises May 17, expect to hear a story -- because she's a storyteller. In a demanding undergraduate program, The University Professors, Vinson has combined a broad foundation in the humanities with a focus on journalism. Her specialty: narrative journalism. "In the sixth grade, my English teacher introduced me to what has become my aspiration," says Vinson. "She was a master storyteller." Vinson's passion for writing has led her to write her senior thesis on modern American narrative nonfiction. Still, this Case Scholar with a 3.77 grade point average has found that writing a speech is more difficult than she thought. "I'm used to writing essays," she says, "in which you can use nuances that you simply can't get away with when writing a speech." She is receiving help from College of Communication Professor Mark Kramer, a master of "creative nonfiction." Vinson, a Foxboro, Mass., native who moved with her family to Montreal when she was 7 and returned to New England when she was 17, will continue her study, and practice, of modern narrative nonfiction this fall in Scotland at the University of Glasgow. She was recently awarded a Saint Andrew's Society scholarship for graduate study there. Vinson, of Scottish descent, spent last summer backpacking across Scotland. But her first order of business: a speech in front of 25,000 people. "It hasn't been easy," she laughs. "The speech has undergone about 50 revisions so far." More than 25,000 people are expected to attend the Boston University Commencement. The largest graduation ceremony in New England, the event will be broadcast on WABU-TV Channel 68 and WBUR 90.9 FM. Boston University's 1998 honorary degree recipients Floyd H. Flake In 1986, Floyd Flake was elected to Congress as representative from New York's 6th District (Queens) and served as senior member of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services and the Committee on Small Business. He sponsored legislative initiatives that fostered economic development and helped revitalize urban communities. In November 1997 the Los Angeles native resigned from Congress to concentrate on his work at the Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church in Jamaica, Queens, where he became pastor in 1976 and founded the Allen Christian School and helped develop the Allen Senior Citizen Complex. The former associate dean of students at Lincoln University, he came to Boston University in 1973 and was director of the Martin Luther King, Jr., Center and Dean of Marsh Chapel until 1976. Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson Born Claudia Taylor in Karnack, Texas, Lady Bird Johnson earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1933, and one in journalism in 1934, from the University of Texas. She married Lyndon Baines Johnson the same year, becoming a formidable campaigner, and his most trusted adviser, as well as manager of the family business interests. As First Lady she helped direct national attention to environmental issues, leading to the passage of the Highway Beautification Act of 1965. In 1982 she founded the National Wildflower Research Center, which was recently renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, dedicated to the preservation and re-establishment of native plants in various settings. Gary Locke Gary Locke earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Yale University in 1972 and a doctor of laws degree from Boston University in 1975. He began his political career in 1982 when he was elected a state representative as a Democrat, serving on the Judiciary Committee and as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. He was elected King County executive in 1993 and governor of Washington in 1996. Last October Locke traveled to China and played a leading role in Beijing's purchase of 50 jets from Seattle-based Boeing Corporation. He says that he has dedicated himself to public service in order that "the American dream can be passed on to future generations." In addition to education, his priorities in office include encouraging retraining for jobs and crime prevention. Donald O'Connor Making his first stage appearance at the age of three days in his family's vaudeville act, Donald O'Connor stole the show three years later with a soprano rendition of "Keep Your Sunny Side Up." O'Connor's 1938 Hollywood film debut in Sing You Sinners launched a successful career in film, television, and stage. His versatile talents as actor, singer, virtuoso dancer, choreographer, and comedian led to roles in more than 50 films, including Yes Sir, That's My Baby, There's No Business Like Show Business, and the series of movies focusing on Francis, the talking mule. He is best known for his improvised comic dance sequence in Singin' in the Rain, which helped make the film a classic. His numerous honors include an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He is also president of the Professional Dancers Society.