Former Middle East Hostages Reunited At Colorado State Commencement
Friday, April 3, 1998
FORT COLLINS--Former Middle East hostages Tom Sutherland and
Terry Anderson will be reunited May 15 to serve as speakers for
Colorado State University's All-University Commencement.
Universitywide commencement ceremonies, reinstated at
Colorado State three years ago after a long absence, will take
place 3 p.m. Friday, May 15, at Moby Arena.
Sutherland, an emeritus professor at Colorado State who in
1991 returned from six years of captivity to a hero's welcome in
Fort Collins, and Anderson, former Associated Press bureau chief
and best-selling author who was held captive for seven years,
will speak about each individual's ability to effect real change
in the world around them. The two became friends during their
years of captivity.
"Graduation is one of the most celebratory events for an
academic institution, and in these two speakers the university
has chosen people who can speak to the importance of celebrating
every day and the importance of the individual," said Loren
Crabtree, interim provost. "These two speakers will mark the
importance of the day to our campus while also imparting some
lessons for all of us."
The commencement ceremony will include the address by
Sutherland and Anderson, remarks and conferral of degrees by
Colorado State President Albert C. Yates and recognition of
doctoral candidates. Traditional convocation ceremonies for all
eight colleges will take place May 15 and 16 in locations
throughout campus (see schedule). The public is invited to attend
the All-University Commencement.
Anderson, author of "Den of Lions," is an associate
professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
He writes a weekly column syndicated by the King Feature
Syndicate and is a nationally known speaker on political and
social affairs, the Middle East, journalism and government
reform. "Den of Lions," which Anderson wrote with his wife,
Madeleine Bassil, was a national best seller and told the story
of Anderson's seven years in captivity.
Anderson also wrote and co-produced "A Return to the Den of
Lions," a documentary on Lebanon. Anderson is vice chairman of
the Committee to Protect Journalism, which monitors attacks on
the press and works on behalf of journalists around the world;
co-chairman of the Vietnam Children's Fund, which builds
elementary schools in Vietnam; and chairman of the National
Advisory Board of the Interfaith Alliance, which offers a
mainstream political voice for people of faith and is a political
opponent of the radical religious right.
Sutherland is a well-known figure in Colorado, first joining
Colorado State University in the department of animal sciences in
1958. He was born in Scotland, educated at Glasgow University
(B.S. Agriculture, 1953), and was a member of the Scottish Youth
International Soccer Team. He came to the United States for
graduate study at Iowa State University (M.S. 1956, Ph.D. 1958).
For 25 years he was professor of animal science at Colorado
State, where he received many honors as an outstanding teacher.
During that time, he also spent a sabbatical year at the leading
agricultural research station in France, and worked for two years
in Ethiopia setting up the training program for the International
Livestock Center for Africa. Sutherland was released from
captivity on November 18, 1991.
He has discussed his hostage experience on national
television, including appearances on Nightline, The Today Show,
Good Morning America, The McNeil-Lehrer Report and on BBC and BBC
Scotland. NBC News featured Sutherland's return to Lebanon,
including a visit to the headquarters of Hizbollah, his alleged
captors. He was the first hostage to undertake such a return
visit. Sutherland is a frequent speaker about his experience, the
insights gained from it, about the Middle East and America's role
in the world abroad, the nature of terrorism in today's world and
particularly its threat to the United States, his worldwide
efforts for peace, and his faith in America's future.
At the commencement ceremony, President Yates and a
representative from the State Board of Agriculture will confer
all undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. In
addition, all doctoral candidates will be hooded and recognized.
The 1998 All-University Commencement marks the third year of
a return to tradition at Colorado State. In 1995, the university
reinstated a ceremony for the entire university after several
years without such a ceremony. David Halberstam, a Pulitzer
Prize-winning author, historian and reporter was the first
speaker. In 1996, Ellen Goodman, a nationally syndicated
columnist, was the speaker.
The commencement schedule follows.
COMMENCEMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, May 15
All-University Commencement--3 p.m., Moby Arena.
Professional Veterinary Medicine--7 p.m., Moby Arena.
ROTC Commissioning--7 p.m., Lory Student Center Theatre.
Saturday, May 16
Engineering--9 a.m., Equine Teaching and Research Center,
701 S. Overland Trail.
Natural Sciences--9 a.m., Moby Arena.
Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences--9 a.m., Lory
Student Center Ballroom.
Business--1 p.m., Equine Teaching and Research Center, 701
S. Overland Trail.
Liberal Arts--1 p.m., Moby Arena.
Natural Resources--1 p.m., Lory Student Center Ballroom.
Agricultural Sciences--5 p.m., Equine Teaching and Research
Center, 701 S. Overland Trail.
Applied Human Sciences--5 p.m., Moby Arena.
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