Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General, CC '73, Law '76, and a Columbia University trustee, has accepted the invitation to be Columbia College's Class Day Speaker in 2009, the senior class council announced. Holder, the first African American to head the Justice Department, will laud graduating seniors on Tuesday, May 19 on South Lawn.
The senior class council announced Holder's engagement in front of alma mater on a blustery Tuesday afternoon. The event, which was made known to students just a few hours earlier, took place on an already-busy midterms day and attracted a crowd of about 15, which included students, council members, and CC/SEAS associate dean of student affairs Kathryn Wittner.
"As you can see, we're elated to have the first African American attorney general of the United States," said Mark Johnson, senior council president and CC '09.
Kristen Kramer, CC '09 and chair of the Senior Fund, also used the opportunity to note that the fund is at 53%.
Holder is the second Columbia alumnus in a row to hold the position, succeeding Michael Mukasey, CC ’63. An active member of the Morningside Heights community from within and beyond the Columbia gates during his time as a student, Holder volunteered at a Harlem youth center and joined Concerned Black Men, an organization of male mentors for teens.
Holder has since maintained ties to the University as a member of the Board of Trustees. Administrators have commended his commitment to Columbia, noting his strong involvement and governance on the board.
“I think it’s a great appointment, it’s great for Columbia,” University President Lee Bollinger said in a phone interview in November 2008. “He’s been a very good trustee—attending meetings, listening, commenting, adding important points to the conversation.”
“Eric Holder has been a loyal and active alumnus of both our College and Law School whose impressive career exemplifies the civic values and commitment to public service that we hope to nurture in our students across all professional fields and academic disciplines," Bollinger said in a press release circulated by the University on Tuesday. "We look forward to welcoming him back.”
In addition to serving as deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration, Holder was also the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a federal judge on the court bench in Washington, and a Justice Department prosecutor, where he became known for his aggressive attacks on corruption. He most recently served as a partner at the DC law firm Covington & Burling before Obama tapped him. Holder will speak within days of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's address at Barnard's commencement.
The CC Class Day speaker must be somehow affiliated with the University. Last semester, the CC '09 class representatives solicited nominations for 25 potential names, and the class of 2009 was given the opportunity to vote among them. The top 8 was presented to the committee, which proceeded with the selection process. According to the senior class council's Web site, other popular picks included author Paul Auster, CC '69, actress Maggie Gyllenhall CC ‘99, Art Garfunkel, CC '65, Washington Post editor Marcus Brauchli, CC '83, and, of course, his classmate and U.S. President Barack Obama. For more details, see http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ccsc/09grad.html.
Joel Klein, CC '67 and chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, spoke at Class Day last year. Although his speech was generally well-received, many seniors were disappointed with the choice—especially since Klein’s boss, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, seemed to upstage him by speaking at Barnard. “Lost” actor Matthew Fox, CC '89 and a former wide receiver on Columbia's football team, took to the podium the year before. The Class of 2006 was addressed by U.S. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), whose daughter Meghan graduated from Columbia one year later.
McCain's visit elicited small protests, in which students passed out 100 umbrellas and 800 buttons reading "McCain does not speak for me." Fox's speech was well-received, as he acknowledged the public skepticism surrounding his speech and challenged the graduating class to retain their autonomy.
In 2005, Robert Kraft, CC '63, former chair of the board of trustees, and owner of the New England Patriots, addressed the College's seniors. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, CC '78, spoke in 2004.
See below for the full text of Columbia's press release:
Columbia College has announced that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, an alumnus of both Columbia College and Law School, will serve as its speaker for Class Day, the annual ceremony honoring graduating seniors. This year’s ceremony takes place on Tuesday, May 19, on the South Lawn of Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus.
“Columbians are rightly proud to count both the President of the United States and his Attorney General among our graduates,” said Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger. “Eric Holder has been a loyal and active alumnus of both our College and Law School whose impressive career exemplifies the civic values and commitment to public service that we hope to nurture in our students across all professional fields and academic disciplines. We look forward to welcoming him back.”
After being sworn in as attorney general last month, Holder (CC'73, Law'76) became the second consecutive Columbia graduate to serve in that cabinet post, succeeding Michael Mukasey (CC'63). He served as a Columbia University trustee from March 2007 until his confirmation.
“Eric Holder has stayed closely connected to the College and to his classmates while building an outstanding career serving the public good,” said Dean Austin Quigley, dean of Columbia College. “He is a fine example to all of our students and his remarks at the 2009 Class Day will make the occasion especially memorable for our graduating seniors and their families.”
After his graduation from Columbia College and Law School, Holder joined the Department of Justice’s newly-formed Public Integrity Section, where he investigated and prosecuted corruption involving officials in local, state and federal government. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan appointed Holder to serve as an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, where he presided over hundreds of criminal and civil trials during his five years on the bench.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed Holder to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. In 1997, Clinton appointed Holder to serve as deputy attorney general of the United States, a position that he held until the end of the Clinton administration. Over the course of his career, Holder has earned a reputation as a staunch champion of civil rights.
Kim Kirschenbaum and Tom Faure contributed reporting to this article.
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