Senior Class Election of Commencement Speakers

Senior Class Election of Commencement Speakers

This is a letter written by rising seniors--Greg Daugherty, President of the Richmond College Class of 1970, Elise Miller, a member of Westhampton College, and Julian Smith Jr., a member of the School of Business Administration. The purpose of this letter was to convey to President Modlin the top choices for their class's commencement speaker. The top choice was a Republican politician, Everett Dirksen, who helped write the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and was an adamant supporter of the Vietnam War. The second choice was Ted Kennedy, a liberal senator known for championing economic and social justice. The majority of those on the list were in politics. There weren't any women on the list. However, two black men, Roy Wilkins and Whitney Young were in the third ranked group of potential speakers.

Letter from Greg Daugherty, Elise B. Miller, and Julian Smith Jr. to George M. Modlin, 1969, RG 6.2.4.3 Box 15 Folder 6, University Archives, Virginia Baptist Historical Society.

1970-05-16

Miller, Elise B.

Smith, Julian, Jr.

English

UA6.2.4.3.15.6-19700516.pdf

Richmond (Va.)