EUGENE–If they’re looking for a role model whose work makes a positive difference in the lives of others, this year’s University of Oregon graduates need look no further than their commencement speaker.

Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and a tireless advocate for the rights of children, will deliver the keynote address to the Class of 2000 on Saturday, June 10, at the UO’s 123rd spring commencement.

Approximately 4,208 spring-term degree candidates and fall- and winter-term UO graduates are eligible to participate in the spring ceremonies, which begin at 12:30 p.m. at Hayward Field,
1580 E. 15th Ave. In the event of rain, the commencement ceremony will be held indoors at McArthur Court, 1601 University St.

Campus parking will be limited and those attending are advised to arrive early. Free parking will be available in lots located at East 15th Avenue and Columbia Street, and East 14th Avenue and Kincaid Street, as well as at specially marked parking meters in a several-block radius of Hayward Field.

During the ceremony, the University of Oregon will bestow upon Edelman its highest commendation, an honorary doctorate, in recognition of her work to help disadvantaged children. The honorary degree is the fourth conferred by the UO in the past 54 years. Previous recipients were former Philippine President Corazon Aquino; Mark Hatfield, former U.S. senator and Oregon governor; and Helmuth Rilling, co-founder and artistic director of the Oregon Bach Festival.

Edelman, 60, is a 1960 graduate of Spelman College and a 1963 graduate of Yale Law School. She began her legal career in the mid 1960s when, as the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar, she directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Miss. In that role she represented volunteers of the civil rights movement who were arrested and incarcerated for their activism.

In 1968, Edelman moved to Washington, D.C., to serve as counsel for the Poor People’s March that was being organized by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. She then founded the Washington Research Project (WRP), which investigated how existing and proposed laws affected the poor. That project evolved into the CDF. Edelman went on to direct Harvard University’s Center for Law and Education, and became the first black woman to serve on the board of directors of Yale University. When the CDF incorporated in 1973, Edelman became its president, and she returned to Washington, D.C., in 1979 to direct its day-to-day operations.

Under Edelman’s leadership, the Children’s Defense Fund evolved into a strong national voice for children and families. CDF’s mission is to "educate the nation about the needs of children before they get sick, drop out of school, suffer too-early pregnancy or family break down, or get into trouble. CDF seeks to ensure that no child is left behind and that every child has a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start in life with the support of caring parents and communities."

By the late 1980s, Edelman had gained a national reputation as "the children’s crusader" and persistently pursued CDF’s agenda in Congress. With the mantra "One dollar up front saves many dollars down the road," CDF is credited with securing an increase in Medicaid coverage for poor children, financial help for childcare and an increase in funding for the Head Start program. Head Start is a pre-kindergarten education program for which Edelman is a nationally recognized advocate.

Edelman is the youngest of five children. When blacks in her hometown of Bennettsville, S.C., were forbidden to enter city parks, her father, a Baptist minister, built a park for black children behind his church. Edelman would later credit her father with instilling in her an obligation to right wrongs.

"If you don’t like the way the world is, you have an obligation to change it," she says. "Just do it one step at a time."

Edelman received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize and The Heinz Award in the Human Condition for her dedication to protecting the rights and meeting the needs of American children. She also was a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellow and served on the Spelman College Board of Trustees as its chair from 1976—1987.

Edelman is the author of five books: "Families in Peril: An Agenda for Social Change," "The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours," "Guide My Feet: Meditations and Prayers on Loving and Working for Children" and "Stand for Children." Her latest work, "Lanterns: A Memoir for Mentors," is autobiographical. In addition, Edelman writes a monthly column, "A Voice for Children," and a weekly column, "Child Watch."

Edelman is married to Peter Edelman, a Georgetown Law School professor. They have three sons–Joshua, Jonah and Ezra.

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