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Arne Duncan to Deliver Commencement Address Lake Forest, Ill.-—Arne Duncan, chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools, will deliver the Commencement address at Lake Forest College’s 125th Commencement on Saturday, May 10, 2003. Mr. Duncan will be awarded the Degree of Laws, honoris causa. Arne Duncan’s appointment in 2001 to lead the Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third largest school system, drew praise from around the city. A 1987 magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University, Duncan has in one way or another been involved in education for most of his life. As a youngster, he tutored other kids in a South Side after-school program run by his mother. After college he pursued a professional basketball career in Australia, where he also worked with children who were wards of the state. He returned to Chicago in 1992 to direct the Ariel Education Initiative, which creates educational opportunities for inner city children on the City’s South Side. Duncan joined the Chicago Public Schools in 1998, where he rose to become deputy chief of staff to CEO Paul Vallas. In this position Duncan was responsible for magnet schools and programs, service learning, and athletics. In 2001 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer by Mayor Richard M. Daley. As CEO he has been a committed, energetic and inspirational leader, who works tirelessly to improve education and opportunities for youth in Chicago. Others being presented honorary degrees at the 2003 Commencement are Dr. L. Natalie Carroll, President of the National Medical Association; Peggy A. Lautenschlager, Attorney General of Wisconsin; and David B. Mathis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kemper Insurance Companies. These three honorary degree recipients are all graduates of Lake Forest College. L. Natalie Carroll, M.D. will be awarded the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa. Dr. Carroll, a 1971 graduate of Lake Forest College, completed her residency in obstetrics/gynecology at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. Carroll was installed in August 2002 as the 103rd president of the National Medical Association (NMA). A practicing obstetrician and gynecologist in Houston, Texas, Carroll also holds leadership roles in a number of organizations that address concerns affecting the health and welfare of women and children. The Honorable Peggy A. Lautenschlager will be awarded the degree Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. A 1977 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Lake Forest College, she received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1980. Lautenschlager served as District Attorney for Winnebago County from 1985 to 1988. She then served in the State Assembly until 1992 when President Bill Clinton appointed her to the position of U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. Lautenschlager was elected Attorney General of Wisconsin in 2002, the first woman ever to hold this office. David B. Mathis will be awarded the degree Doctor of Laws, honoris causa. Mathis, a 1960 graduate of Lake Forest College, began his career with Kemper as a college intern in the Kemper Scholar program in 1956. After graduation Mathis became a full-time employee serving Kemper in a variety of positions over the years. Continually rising through the ranks he has represented the company around the world, from Belgium to Tokyo. In 1992, Mathis was appointed to his present position as the Kemper Corporation’s chairman and chief executive officer. For the past three years Mathis has also served as Chairman of the Lake Forest College Board of Trustees. President Stephen D. Schutt will preside over the ceremony during which 303 graduates will be awarded Bachelor of Arts and Master of Liberal Studies degrees. Commencement begins at 10:45 a.m. with the academic procession into Johnson Science Courtyard on the College’s Middle Campus. If inclement weather is forecasted, the event will be held in the pavilion at Ravinia. Please visit www.lakeforest.edu/news/events/commencement to confirm ceremony site. Lake Forest College is a private, liberal arts institution located 30 miles north of downtown Chicago. The college has 1,300 students representing 45 states and 43 other countries.-
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