UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 14, Page 1
December 7, 1995
Gov. Thomas R. Carper to address winter grads

     Delaware Gov. Thomas R. Carper, Delaware MBA '75, will be
featured speaker at the 1996 Winter Commencement, scheduled for 10:30
a.m., Saturday, Jan. 6, in the Bob Carpenter Center.
     Also at the ceremony, a Medal of Distinction will be presented to
Mary Kaye Carpenter, founder of the Pilot School in Talleyville for
students with learning disabilities; an active member who helped found
the Delaware Foundation for Retarded Children; and a noted
philanthropist who has supported charitable causes, including the
Medical Center of Delaware
     The Medal of Distinction is presented by the University in
recognition of outstanding professional achievements.
     Each year, Winter Commencement recognizes students who complete
their degree requirements in August and December. Attendance at
graduation is voluntary, but those participating in the ceremony must
wear academic regalia, which can be ordered from the University
Bookstore.
     Seating for the ceremony is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Each graduating student is entitled to a maximum of six guest tickets,
which will be available from Dec. 11-15 at the Student Services
Building.
     Carper, who received his master of business administration degree
at the University in 1975, became Delaware's 71st chief executive on
Jan. 19, 1993, after serving five terms representing Delaware in the
U.S. House of Representatives and six years as state treasurer.
     In all, he has been elected to statewide office nine times, more
than anyone in Delaware history.
     As a U.S. congressman, he led efforts to overhaul the budget
process and reduce the federal deficit. He played a key role in
efforts to increase the availability of affordable housing; reform the
welfare system; promote family self-sufficiency; and combat drug money
laundering. He also authored legislation to ban sewage sludge dumping
in the ocean and to safely manage hazardous waste disposal.
     Carper attended Ohio State University on a Naval ROTC Scholarship
and graduated in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics. He
completed five years of service as a Naval flight officer and served
in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. After his tour of duty, he
moved to Delaware to pursue his MBA.
     During the past decade, he has chaired or co-chaired fundraising
efforts for numerous Delaware organizations, including the United
Negro College Fund, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and United Cerebral
Palsy. He is a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the New Castle County
Presbyterian Church and Common Cause.
     Carper and his wife, Martha, live in Wilmington with their two
sons, Christopher and Ben.
     For additional information on Winter Commencement activities,
including handicapped accommodations, contact the Office of Alumni and
University Relations at 831-8741.