Following criticism from some seniors, President Henry Bienen defended the university’s choice of Richard M. Daley as its commencement speaker in a follow-up statement Thursday, saying the Chicago Mayor’s “international stature is recognized everywhere.”
Calling him “an innovative and creative big-city mayor who has made Chicago a truly world-class city,” Bienen said that “it is particularly appropriate to have Mayor Daley be our speaker” because it is Northwestern’s 150th commencement.
“I am confident that our graduates and their families will benefit from the insights that I hope he will share with us at Commencement,” he said.
Seniors criticizedTuesday’s announcement soon after it was made, with some saying they expected a higher-profile speaker. The Chicago Tribune and local television picked up the story.