Manhattan College Awards Undergraduate Degrees At 166th Commencement

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan College awarded close to 700 degrees in some 40 major fields of study from its five schools in arts, business, education, engineering and science at its 166th Undergraduate Commencement on Sunday, May 18. Students who completed their studies in September 2007, February 2008 and May 2008 participated in the ceremony in the College’s Draddy Gymnasium.

During the ceremony, an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters was presented to William F. Baker, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Educational Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).

In his keynote address, Baker told the graduates, “You are fortunate to have been educated at Manhattan College, and to be in New York City gives you a real advantage in a complex world. It may be hard for you to appreciate now, but think about why Manhattan College has produced so many famous graduates for a place its size. Being in New York City and having terrific faculty and an administration with values makes this place so special.”

Baker has been at the head of EBC since 1987. During his tenure, the station has grown and created new programs, such as Charlie Rose, City Arts and Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. He established the Educational Resources Center, which has become America’s most prolific teacher trainer in multimedia technologies.

Baker’s career spans four decades. Prior to assuming his current position, he was president of Westinghouse Television and chairman of the cable programming companies. During his 10 years at Westinghouse, five cable networks were launched, including Discover Channel and the Disney Channel. He established the successful national program PM Magazine and introduced Oprah Winfrey as a talk show host.

Founded in 1853, Manhattan College is an independent, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of undergraduate study in the areas of arts, business, education, engineering and science, along with graduate programs in education and engineering. For more information about Manhattan College, visit www.manhattan.edu.