Dr. Virginia Grady Carter receives an honorary doctorate from Dr. Tom McFarland, left, and Chairman Paul Isaacs, right, during Union’s 2008 commencement.

Union College Celebrates 115th Commencement

Union College’s 115th graduating class celebrated commencement Saturday along with special guests Jean Ruth Ritchie and Dr. Virginia Grady Carter.

The 380 graduates were treated to two commencement addresses. Ritchie, a Viper, Ky., native who has earned national and international acclaim as a pioneer of the American Folk Revival, chose to deliver her remarks in song. She sang “Shady Grove” while playing the lap dulcimer, an instrument she is credited with preserving, and performed “Now is the Cool of the Day” a capella. Ritchie received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree as part of the ceremony. Best-selling Appalachian author, Silas House, introduced her to the audience.

Jean Ritchie plays her legendary music for the class of 2008.

Dr. Virginia Grady Carter, executive director of the Kentucky Humanities Council, also addressed graduates and guests. She urged graduates to appreciate the role of story in their lives, telling them that their stories, their communities’ stories, and those of the commonwealth’s “…are our stories. They are who we are. They are the ties that bind us through time. They are our foundation and a source of wisdom.”

Suzanne Gibbs, a member of the class of 2008, is all smiles after receiving her diploma.

Dr. Carter reminded graduates that Union and Kentucky are now part of their stories. “Like the early travelers on the Wilderness Road, you found a resting place here where you might gather and develop strength for the journeys ahead,” she told the crowd. “There will be many adventures and trials, for none of us knows what lies around that next bend in the river, but your story will always be referenced by these years. Whether you are a born Kentuckian or not, you will be your own Kentucky story.”

Dr. Carter received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree during the ceremony.

Brandon Davisson’s commissioning ceremony was included as part of this year’s commencement.

In opening remarks, President Edward D. de Rosset told the class of 2008 that “we hope your experience with Union grows into being a special sense of place to which you will return frequently both in mind and in person to renew friendships.” Graduates and guests were also addressed by the Honorable Paul Isaacs, chairman of Union’s Board of Trustees, and Dr. Robert Dunaway, Alumni Association president.

The 115th commencement included the presentation of the Excellence in Teaching Award, given this year to Dr. Randy Botkin, professor of recreation management, and a commissioning ceremony for Brandon Davisson led by Major Clifton R. Goins, assistant professor of military science.

May 6, 2008

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