Monmouth University president, Rebecca Stafford, also presented honorary
degrees to Preston Tisch, Joseph Buckelew and Dr. Carol Rittner. Mr. Tisch is
co-chairman of Loews Corporation and chairman and co-chief executive officer of
the New York Football Giants. Mr. Buckelew is president of Commerce Bank/Shore
division and vice chairman of Commerce National Insurance Services. Dr. Rittner
is a Sister of Mercy from the Dallas, Pennsylvania Regional Community and
distinguished professor of holocaust and genocide studies at The Richard
Stockton College of New Jersey.
Mr. Belafonte spoke about the importance of fighting injustice and having a
positive impact on society. He said that he has spent much of his life promoting
these ideals.
"In the next 75 years – which I intend to live – I hope to bump into one or
two or 500 of you who will say, 'We spent this day together and you inspired me
to take a closer look at the world,'" Mr. Belafonte said.
The repeated chants of "Day-o” filled the air (an affectionate appeal by
graduates for Mr. Belafonte to sing his classic, “The Banana Boat Song.”) He did
not disappoint, shouting out: "Day-o! Day-ay-ay-o. I got my degree and I want to
go home.” The graduates responded wildly with chants of “Harry, Harry!” At the
conclusion of his speech Mr. Belafonte received a standing ovation from the
graduates and the thousands of people in attendance. Many of the 1,000 graduates
shook his hand after receiving their degrees.
To see digital photos of the event or to watch the recorded webcast please
visit www.monmouth.edu.
