Senator Lugar Keynotes Calumet College's Commencement

On Saturday, May 17, Senator Lugar keynoted the 46th annual commencement ceremony at Calumet College of St. Joseph. Senator Lugar received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree, his 41st honorary degree.

The citation for the honorary degree stated:

Richard G. Lugar has faithfully served the people of Indiana and the United States by his integrity and leadership in the Senate for the past thirty-two years. As a member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee and the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, he has developed, supported and pursued innovative bipartisan programs that have had a great impact on energy, national security and agriculture policy.

Senator Lugar is an unwavering advocate for economic growth, strong national security and U.S. leadership in the world. His dedication to the enrichment of others is evident in such programs as the Fund for Hoosier Excellence, which provides scholarships to minority students, the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series and the Lugar Symposium for Tomorrow’s Leaders. Senator Lugar has served his community ably as a member of several non-profit boards of directors as well.

A Rhodes Scholar, Senator Lugar received an honors degree in politics, philosophy and economics from Pembroke College, Oxford University. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1956 through 1960. During his two terms as mayor of Indianapolis, his innovative unification plan served as a catalyst for extensive economic development.

Richard G. Lugar is a husband, father, farmer, legislator, and patriot. Because of his aforementioned accomplishments, Calumet College of St. Joseph is proud to recognize him with the conferral of the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa.

Calumet College was founded in 1951 as an urban extension of St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer and offers 19 undergraduate majors, 3 graduate programs and has the largest transition-to-teaching post-baccalaureate degree program in Indiana. In 2006, CCSJ identified by U.S. News & World Report as having the most diverse student population among all Midwest baccalaureate institutions.