Senator Timothy Wirth Addresses Whitehead School Graduates  

Senator Timothy E. Wirth, Ph.D.

Wirth began his political career as a White House Fellow under President Lyndon Johnson and served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Education in the Nixon Administration. In 1970, Wirth returned to his home state of Colorado and successfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1974. He represented Denver suburbs from 1975-1987. Wirth was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 where he focused on environmental issues, particularly global climate change and population stabilization.

Following these two decades of elected politics, Wirth was national Co-chair of the Clinton-Gore campaign, and from 1993 to 1997 served as the U.S. Department of State as the first Undersecretary for Global Affairs.

Prior to entering politics, Wirth was in private business in Colorado. The son of teachers, he was a scholarship student and graduate of Harvard College, served as a Harvard "Baby Dean" after graduation, and received a Ph.D. from Stanford University. The recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, he also served as a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he was recently honored as a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme. 

Following Wirth's inspiring words, the Academic Excellence Award was presented to Hans David Fly and Emily Marie Pease in recognition of their superior scholastic achievement. Pease then delivered the student address to the graduating class, Ambassador John K. Menzies, Dean, offered a charge to the class, and Thomas J. Sharkey ི of the University Board of Regents conferred the degrees. After receiving the colors of the Whitehead School and Seton Hall University in their hoods, graduates were welcomed to the Whitehead Alumni Association by its current president, Eduardo Vargas, M.A. གྷ.