FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MANHATTAN COLLEGE HONORED LOUDONVILLE, NEW YORK, RESIDENT MICHAEL F. BETTE ’59 AT ANNUAL ACADEMIC EVENT

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan College recently presented alumnus and trustee of the College Michael F. Bette ’59 with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree at this year’s Fall Honors Convocation. The event was held Sunday, October 17 on campus in the College’s Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers. During the ceremony, some 70 seniors were inducted into prestigious Epsilon Sigma Pi, the oldest college-wide honor society on campus.

Epsilon Sigma Pi recognizes seniors who have earned at least a 3.5 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for six consecutive semesters with no academic failures.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Bette, a veteran in the construction industry, congratulated the students of Epsilon Sigma Pi and encouraged them to never give up. “You have proven you are achievers,” he said. “But, how you use this ability in the future is equally important. I have two thoughts for you: number one, America is the land of opportunity, and number two, life rewards risk takers. Those of you who have the entrepreneurial spirit, I say, ‘Go for it!’ and if you stumble, try again.”

 Mr. Bette, who himself has enjoyed a successful career as an entrepreneur as owner of BBL Florida and BBL Texas Companies, joined the College’s board of trustees in 1991. He currently sits on the facilities committee. During his tenure, Mr. Bette was instrumental in overseeing the College’s multiyear campus renovation plan, including a program that ensured the upgrade of every campus building and facility.

With his colleague Robert Barry, Mr. Bette established the construction firm Barry & Bette, Inc. Ten years down the road, the company merged with an Albany-based firm that ultimately became Barry, Bette & Led Duke, Inc. (BBL). During the next 26 years, BBL grew to become a diversified general contracting and construction management firm with several divisions and annual construction sales in excess of $400 million.

Along with Mr. Bette, who graduated from the College in 1959 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, four additional trustee members were honored for their years of dedicated service to Manhattan. George F. Knapp ’53, John P. Lawler ’55, Valentine A. Lehr ’62 and John L. Paluszek ’55 were also awarded honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees at the Fall Honors Convocation.

Manhattan College was founded in 1853 in the Lasallian heritage of excellence in teaching inspired by the Christian Brothers. The College is an independent, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher learning offering more than 40 major programs of study in the area of the arts, business, education, engineering and science.

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