2011 Commencement Services to be Held at William Penn University
William Penn University
Oskaloosa, IA – William Penn University will hold commencement exercises on Saturday, May 7, at 2:00 p.m. in the Penn Activity Center. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. The ceremony will honor just over 300 students from the College of Arts, Sciences and Professional Studies, and the College for Working Adults, also known as CWA. Fifty-nine of the students from CWA will graduate with a Master of Business Leadership.
General Tom Franks will serve as this year’s commencement speaker. General Franks agreed to serve on the William Penn University Board of Trustees in September of 2010. Born in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, General Franks joined the United States Army in 1967. As a distinguished graduate of the Artillery Officer Candidate School, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and sent to Vietnam. His service in Vietnam earned him six awards for valor and three Purple Hearts.
Along the way, General Franks attended the University of Texas, Arlington, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and Shippensburg University where he graduated with a master’s degree in Public Administration. He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College and the Army War College.
In June 2000, he was promoted to four-star General and assigned as Commander-in-Chief, United States Central Command. It is in this position that he led American and Coalition troops in two strategically unprecedented campaigns in two years – Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.
The General’s awards include five Distinguished Service Medals, four Legions of Merit, four Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts in addition to numerous foreign awards. President George W. Bush awarded him the Nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom on December 14, 2004.
Following commencement exercises will be the traditional Blue and Gold Ceremony held by William Penn’s Alumni Association. This ceremony serves as the official induction into the Alumni Association for all members of the class of 2011. For questions or further information on commencement exercises, contact Angie Gambell at (641) 673-1010.
