Former UPI White House Bureau Chief Helen Thomas to Address Spring Commencement

Helen Thomas and Toyoshi Satow to Receive Honorary Degrees

April 21, 2004

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Ohio Dominican University will hold its 81st commencement exercise on May 15, 2004. During the ceremony, to take place on the Oval in front of Erskine Hall on Ohio Dominican's main campus, more than 250 students will have degrees conferred upon them as they are joined by hundreds of family members and friends.

The commencement ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 15, 2004 at 10:00 a.m. If the weather does not permit the ceremony to be held outdoors, it will be moved to Alumni Hall, located on campus, west of Sunbury Road.

Former UPI White House Bureau Chief Helen Thomas will deliver the commencement address to the Ohio Dominican graduates. Thomas will also be awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters.

Commonly referred to as "The First Lady of the Press," Thomas is known as a trailblazer, breaking through barriers for women reporters. Today, she is a syndicated columnist for Hearst Newspapers; however, she is best known for her 57-year stint as the White House correspondent for United Press International, which she retired from in 2000.

Often regarded as the dean of the White House press corps, Helen Thomas began writing for United Press International and the Washington Press Corps in 1943. In November 1960, she began covering then President-elect John F. Kennedy and followed him through his presidency. During her time at the White House, she gained the distinction of traveling around the world several times with Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

In addition to her longstanding career in journalism, Thomas has written several books, including, Thanks for the Memories Mr. President: Wit and Wisdom from the Front Row at the White House; Dateline: White House and Front Row at the White House: My Life and Times.

Toyoshi Satow, who will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Higher Education, has served as the president of Obirin University, ODU's sister university in Japan, for over a decade. He arrived at Obirin in 1970 as a member of the faculty of American Studies. Under his leadership, Obirin has grown significantly - both in size and reputation - and has become a leader in higher education in Japan - offering innovative graduate programs and programs for adult students. Mr. Satow has been a great supporter of international educational exchange and was instrumental in developing a close relationship between Ohio Dominican and Obirin that has endured for nearly 20 years.