Congressman Ron Paul to speak at UHV Commencement May 10
Paul is expected to address a crowd of some 3,500 people, including more than 300 graduates, at the May 10 event at the UHV campus in Victoria.
“I am very grateful for the higher education opportunities the University of Houston-Victoria provides my constituency,” Paul said shortly after agreeing to speak. “I am delighted and honored to address the graduating class at the beginning of this new chapter in their lives.”
The honor flows both ways.
“We are honored to have Congressman Paul as our commencement speaker,” UHV President Tim Hudson said. “The presence of such a distinguished member of Congress, and one who has garnered noteworthy support nationwide as a presidential candidate, is symbolic of the significance of the University of Houston-Victoria to our region and beyond.”
Paul joins a distinguished list of recent speakers UHV has hosted at commencement such as Spanish entrepreneur Alfonso Rubio, author Andrei Codrescu and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.
“Hosting commencement speakers of national scope whose perspectives and voices are in demand nationwide adds value to our graduates’ efforts and is part of our ongoing drive toward becoming more of a university of choice,” Hudson said.
Paul graduated from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine, before serving as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force during the 1960s. He and his wife, Carol, moved to Texas in 1968, where he began his medical practice in Brazoria County.
Paul served in Congress during the late 1970s and early 1980s, then voluntarily relinquished his House seat and resumed his medical practice. He returned to Congress in 1997 to represent the 14th Congressional District of Texas. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee, and is vice chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. Other committee service includes the International Relations Committee and the Joint Economic Committee. He has been an ardent advocate for a dramatic reduction in the size of the federal government and a return to constitutional principles.
Paul is seeking the 2008 Republican nomination for president. During his campaign, Paul has set national records in online fundraising from supporters across the country. He also recently garnered 16 delegate votes for the Republican National Convention.
Paul has authored several books, been a distinguished counselor to the Ludwig von Mises Institute, and is widely quoted by scholars and writers in the fields of monetary policy, banking and political economy. He has received many awards and honors during his career in Congress.
“Dr. Paul recognizes the important role of education to the future well-being of our nation, and UHV looks forward to his participation in the spring commencement exercises,” Hudson concluded.
For more information about UHV’s spring commencement ceremony, call UHV Special Events at (361) 570-4351.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
