Professional golf great Hale Irwin, a 1967 University of Colorado at Boulder graduate, will give the commencement address during CU-Boulder's spring commencement on Friday, May 11.
The ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Folsom Stadium, where 5,650 degrees will be conferred. Stadium gates open at 7 a.m. and guests are urged to be in their seats at the stadium well before 8:15 a.m. With commencement starting at 8:30 a.m., university officials are urging people to arrive as early as possible to avoid traffic delays.
Guests are asked not to bring large purses or bags to the ceremony, and people entering the stadium may be subject to search. The ceremony will be held outdoors in the stadium regardless of the weather. In the event of heavy rain, the ceremony will be held in abbreviated form.
During his golf career, Irwin had 20 victories on the PGA tour and has 45 so far on the Champion's Tour, formerly the Senior PGA Tour, where he tops the all-time money list with earnings of more than $23 million. A three-time winner of the U.S. Open, Irwin also played on five Ryder Cup teams.
While at CU-Boulder, Irwin was a two-time All-Big Eight defensive back, as well as Big Eight Conference golf champion in 1966-67 and the individual NCAA Division I men's golf champion in 1967. He is a member of the CU Athletic Hall of Fame and is one of only 114 golfers to ever be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Each spring the commencement ceremony begins with a procession of faculty and all graduates from Norlin Quadrangle to Folsom Stadium beginning at 8 a.m. Graduating students are invited to attend a pre-commencement breakfast on Norlin Quadrangle at 7 a.m., where breakfast burritos, orange juice and coffee will be served.
Degrees to be awarded include 4,540 bachelor's degrees, 702 master's degrees, 255 doctoral degrees and 153 law degrees.
Members of the CU-Boulder class of 1957 also will attend the ceremony and will be recognized.
CU-Boulder will present special honors to two people during the ceremony. Priscilla Ellwood will receive an honorary doctoral degree and William Mooney will be recognized with CU's Distinguished Service Award.
Ellwood is being honored for her contributions to the field of archaeology. She is recognized as an authority on prehistoric ceramics in Colorado, the Southwest and the Great Plains. She has worked, mostly as a volunteer, at the University of Colorado Museum since 1978. Ellwood earned a master's degree in anthropology and archaeology from CU-Boulder in 1978.
Mooney's award recognizes his career in theater, movies and television. Twice nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on daytime television, Mooney has starred in CU-Boulder's annual Shakespeare Festival. He also has directed operas and musicals at CU-Boulder's College of Music.
Many departments within CU-Boulder's schools and colleges will hold events to personally recognize their graduates. Students should check with their individual departments for more information. For a schedule of individual recognition ceremonies visit .
For more information about the commencement ceremony visit the Web site at . The ceremony also will be broadcast on the Web. To access the webcast visit the commencement Web site and click on the webcast link.