Posted 2:52 p.m. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will speak at Barnard College's 117th Commencement, according to an e-mail Barnard President Debora Spar sent to seniors on Thursday afternoon.
Stay tuned for updates.
As Spar noted, Clinton convened a press conference at Barnard on women's pay equity in fall 2008. Heralded as emblematic for the advancement of women in America, Clinton received 18 million votes in the race to become the Democratic candidate for president of the United States. "She won more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history and changed the political landscape for generations of women yet to come," Spar wrote.
Clinton, previously the junior senator from New York, will also receive the Barnard Medal of Distinction, an honor received in 2008 by The New Yorker editor David Remnick, former Barnard President Judith Shapiro, tennis player Billie Jean King, and Harlem activist and Head Start program organizer Thelma Davidson Adair.
Clinton is the second consecutive New York politician to speak at Barnard's commencement—Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke last year.
"It is my great pleasure to join Barnard Board Chair Anna Quindlen in announcing that Hillary Rodham Clinton has accepted our invitation to be this year's Commencement speaker and to receive the Barnard Medal of Distinction," Spar wrote.
According to Barnard Media Relations director Joanne Kwong, there will also be several medal recipients this year. She noted that usually, the speaker is announced later in the year—in 2008, Barnard released the information in April—but Spar thought that seniors would be especially excited to hear about Clinton as soon as she confirmed the engagement.
And, by a show of shocked and impressed seniors, she was right.
"Hillary Clinton is the best person to be speaking at Barnard's commencement," Anne Epstein, BC '09, said. "I can't think of anyone else who could be more of an inspiration to the senior class this year."
As the news rolled in, Barnard political science Professor Kimberly Johnson was teaching a class in Dynamics of American Politics. She seemed overjoyed when she found out afterwards.
"It's very exciting. We're a women's college," Johnson said. "This year was such a huge year for women in politics. It's always been a question: could a woman run for president? Hillary Clinton has put it to bed. It's done. It's a new reality," she added.
Johnson, along with others, are interested to see what Clinton will say to her audience of Barnard women.
See below for full text of e-mail.
Dear Seniors,
It is my great pleasure to join Barnard Board Chair Anna Quindlen in announcing that Hillary Rodham Clinton has accepted our invitation to be this year's Commencement speaker and to receive the Barnard Medal of Distinction.
As you all know, Hillary Clinton is now serving as the 67th United States Secretary of State, after having served two terms as Senator from the State of New York and having run an extraordinary and history-making campaign for President. She won more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history and changed the political landscape for generations of women yet to come.
This past September, we were honored to welcome then-Senator Clinton to Barnard to address the persistence of a wage gap between women and men in New York and around the country. It will be a tremendous honor and a true thrill to welcome her back to campus for Commencement 2009 this May.
Debora Spar