Bill Hall, the longtime Ohio State vice president for student affairs, accepted an invitation to be the spring commencement speaker after a unanimous recommendation by the commencement committee.
"It was absolutely a complete surprise to be chosen," Hall said. "I had no idea given the kinds of people that were being talked about. When the president called, (the feeling was) one of sheer joy and sheer terror to put together a speech of that magnitude."
Hall was the undisputed selection of the commencement committee after The Lantern named him "the ultimate Buckeye" in an editorial on April 6 that highlighted Hall's demonstrable courage in his battle against pancreatic and liver cancer, and his 28 years of dedication to OSU students, said Bill Murphy, chair of the commencement committee and special assistant to the president for national media.
"As soon as the idea came up, a number of us began discussing the idea of inviting Bill and got really excited," Murphy said. "He exemplifies a lot of qualities that you hope a commencement speaker will have. I've worked closely with him on a number of student-related issues and he is so deeply devoted to students. It seemed like a perfect match."…
2008 Woodie Awards
