Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, a 1972 graduate of Hamilton College, will deliver the Commencement address at Hamilton on Sunday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m.
In 1998 Vilsack became the first Democrat elected governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. A native of Pittsburgh, he earned a bachelor's degree from Hamilton in 1972 and graduated from Albany Law School in 1975. He was a partner in the Bell and Vilsack Law Office from 1975 to 1998, then served as mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, from 1987-1992. Vilsack served as State Senator in Iowa's 49th District from 1992-1998, where he helped shape legislation for the Democratic majority between 1993 and 1996.
In the governor's race, Vilsack defeated Republican nominee, U.S. Rep. Jim Lightfoot, who was a heavy favorite and remained ahead in most polls until election day. In that surprising upset, Vilsack emphasized issues such as reduced class sizes, increased access to health care, cleaner Iowa water, fighting drugs and cutting property taxes.
Vilsack recently was featured in a TIME Magazine article (3/19/01) that described his new plan to fight population drain in Iowa by luring immigrants to the state. Through the plan Vilsack has designated three towns as Model Communities. Their mission is to devise a plan for recruiting immigrants from other states and refugees who might be attracted by Iowa's low cost of living. Vilsack has also opened two New Iowan Centers in Muscatine and Sioux City. They are referral agencies that provide immigration help and job advice.
Since taking office, Vilsack and Lt. Gov. Sally Pederson have created the Clean Water Initiative to improve the quality of Iowa's water and empower farmers to promote private land conservation. Iowa is also one of three states in the country to allocate all of its tobacco settlement entirely to health care. Vilsack and Pederson also created the Long Term Care Trust Program - from approximately $100 million in federal funds - to allow more seniors to access alternative to traditional nursing home care.
Vilsack and his wife, Christie, a 1972 Kirkland College graduate, have two sons, Jess, a 2000 graduate of Hamilton College, and Doug, a sophomore at Colorado College.
Hamilton's commencement ceremony will take place on the Main Quadrangle, or in the event of inclement weather, in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. Approximately 434 Hamilton students will receive bachelor's degrees during the ceremony that marks the end of the college's 189th academic year.
