President Carter to Address Rice Commencement

Contact: Michael Berryhill
Phone: (713) 527-4943

President Carter to Address Rice Commencement

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States,
will address Rice University’s 80th graduating class during
commencement ceremonies on May 8, 1993.

Since leaving the White House in 1981, Carter has championed
human rights and the peaceful resolution of conflict in the
developing world through his Atlanta-based Carter Center. Recently,
the Center expanded its pro-grams to address problems associated
with poverty in this country as well.

"President Carter’s sense of duty to his country and the world
at large is best exhibited in his fight for human rights that
continues today," said Charles Duncan, chairman of Rice’s board of
governors.

Duncan served as energy secretary in the Carter administration
from 1979 through 1981, a position Carter created.

"Jimmy Carter’s life is an example not only for Rice graduates
but for people everywhere," said Rice president George Rupp. "We are
fortunate the president has found time to share his message with our
students and their families."

The commencement address marks Carter’s second visit to Rice. In
1986, the 68-year-old Plains, Georgia, native gave a lecture at the
Rice Institute for Policy Analysis. It was the first visit to campus
by a president since John F. Kennedy spoke at Rice stadium in 1962.

Carter said, "I always look forward to talking with students,
who have a unique opportunity to make an impact on the world around
them. I hope that students from Rice and from colleges and
universities all over the country will graduate this year to become
not just good citizens in their own neighborhoods but good citizens
of a larger, global community."

Among Carter’s accomplishments while in office were the Panama
Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords that led to a peace treaty
between Egypt and Israel, and the establishment of diplomatic
relations with the People’s Republic of China.

On the domestic front, Carter established two new cabinet-level
departments, energy and education. He led the call for deregulation
of the energy, transportation, communications and finance
industries, and fought for major environmental legislation,
including the Alaska Lands Act.

As president, Carter championed human rights around the world.
He continues fighting for that cause through the nonprofit Carter
Center, which was founded in 1982 in partnership with Emory
University.

Center fellows and associates join with Carter in efforts to
resolve conflict, promote democracy, protect human rights, and
prevent disease and other afflictions around the world. Carter also
works with the Global 2000 program to advance health and
agricultural projects in developing countries.

Houston philanthropist Dominique de Menil and Carter formed the
Carter-Menil Human Rights Foundation in 1986 to promote the
protection of human rights. Each year on December 10, the
anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the foundation awards $100,000 to persons or
organizations that have advanced human rights principles.

In 1991, Carter launched the Atlanta Project, an unprecedented
community-wide effort to improve life in America’s inner cities by
com- bating the problems that are tearing apart families-violence,
drug abuse, un-employment, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency and
hopelessness. Re-cently, he joined superstar Michael Jackson as co
chair of Heal the Children, a program designed to increase the
quality of life for inner-city children.

Carter has served on the board of directors and is a regular
volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that
helps build homes for the needy in the United States and in
underdeveloped countries.

This is the third year that a major world leader will speak to
Rice’s graduating class. In 1992, German President Richard von
Weizsacker delivered the commencement address. Former U.S. Secretary
of State James A. Baker, III spoke at the 1991 ceremonies.

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