June 6, 1997 Contact John R. Crosiar (541) 346-3135 NOTE TO EDITORS: The attached pages list the names, degrees and majors of degree candidates from your area. The hometowns are those the candidates list as their permanent address. EUGENE--Mark Hatfield, who served Oregon for 30 years in the U.S. Senate before retiring in January, will address the Class of 1997 on Saturday, June 14, during the University of Oregon's 120th spring commencement. Approximately 3,600 spring-term degree candidates and fall- and winter-term graduates are eligible to participate in the ceremonies which begin at 12:30 p.m. at Hayward Field, 1580 E. 15th Ave. In the event of rain, the ceremonies will be held indoors at McArthur Court, 1601 University St. Campus parking will be limited and those attending are advised to arrive early and park in lots located at East 15th Avenue and Columbia Street, or East 14th Avenue and Kincaid Street. Hatfield, who will speak on the topic of international relations, also will receive an honorary doctorate, the second honorary degree the university has bestowed in the last 51 years. UO President Dave Frohnmayer will confer the honorary degree, Hatfield's 100th such honor. Frohnmayer also will present the university's 1997 Distinguished Service Awards and Presidential Medals. Recipients of several distinguished teaching awards for faculty members and graduate teaching fellows also will be recognized. At a pre-commencement brunch, the UO Alumni Association will bestow its 1997 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award on 1980 journalism graduate Scott Bedbury, a Starbucks marketing executive. Also to be honored with this year's Distinguished Alumnus Award will be former Eugene mayor Les Anderson, a 1943 business administration graduate. Sen. Hatfield is credited with helping the university to obtain $33.4 million in federal funding for its science complex. Completed in 1989, the four-building complex includes 250,000 square feet of office, classroom, laboratory and meeting space. Born in Dallas, Ore., in 1922, Hatfield pursued a long and distinguished political career during which he never lost an election. A life-long Republican, he entered politics in 1950, serving two terms in Oregon's House of Representatives and two years in the state Senate before becoming Oregon's youngest secretary of state in 1956. Hatfield was elected governor in 1958 and became the state's first two-term governor of the 20th century when he was re-elected in 1962. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1966 and is Oregon's longest-serving senator, surpassing the previous record set by Sen. Charles McNary. Hatfield's experiences as a U.S. Navy lieutenant during World War II led to his staunch opposition to nuclear weapons. He saw battle at Iwo Jima and Okinawa and was among the first U.S. servicemen to enter Hiroshima following the atomic bombing. In the U.S. Senate, Hatfield was an active proponent of nuclear disarmament. He led the fight against the MX missile, the stealth bomber and underground testing. In 1992, President George Bush signed into law legislation which Hatfield co-authored calling for an end to U.S. nuclear testing. Known as an independent legislator who voted his conscience, Hatfield was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War and was committed to finding peaceful resolutions to world conflicts and domestic disputes. He helped found the Oregon Peace Institute and create the U.S. Institute of Peace. Hatfield chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee where he provided for the development of major public works projects in Oregon and the Northwest. Included were reforestation of federal forest lands, Portland's light rail system, the new Bonneville Lock on the Columbia River, the Marine Science Center in Newport and projects at Oregon's public universities. Hatfield earned a bachelor of arts degree from Willamette University in 1943 and a master's degree in political science from Stanford University in 1948. He later returned to Willamette University, serving as a professor of political science and as dean of students. The author of three books and the co-author of five others, Hatfield is currently serving as a guest lecturer at George Fox University, Portland State University and Willamette University. He continues his long-standing commitment to the medical research community through his association with the Lasker Foundation of New York, and he serves on numerous boards and commissions. In addition to the university-wide exercises on June 14, each UO school or college--including individual departments in the College of Arts and Sciences--will hold its own ceremony at various campus locations on Friday and Saturday, June 13-14. During these ceremonies, individual recognition will be given to master's and bachelor's degree candidates. While the Class of 1997 prepares to leave the university, alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago are expected to return to campus June 12-14 for reunion activities, including an Order of Emerald induction. Members of the Class of 1947 and earlier also are invited to participate in the main commencement procession on June 14. Among spring term's 2,558 degree candidates are 2,071 completing requirements for bachelor's degrees, 15 for certificates, 397 for master's degrees and 75 for doctoral degrees. Another 162 students received law degrees during the UO School of Law's Commencement on May 18. Others eligible to participate in the spring ceremonies are 565 fall term and 490 winter term graduates. No ceremonies are held during those terms. -30- [Pick up degree candidate list] #H-2245/Local,Hometowns