Blitzer is Keynote Speaker at
St. Bonaventure Commencement
A Pittsburgh Steelers legend, CNN’s longest-tenured news anchor, and a champion of spiritual and environmental causes will receive honorary degrees May 17 at St. Bonaventure University’s 149th Commencement Exercises.
Buffalo native Wolf Blitzer, a CNN reporter since 1990 and anchor since 1998, will be the keynote speaker when the class of 2009 graduates. Blitzer will be joined on stage by John B. “Jack” Butler, SBU class of 1951 and an all-pro defensive back for the Steelers in the 1950s; and Marcia Marcus Kelly, a niece of renowned Olean poet Robert Lax.
Commencement activities begin Friday, May 15, with the traditional Candlelight Ceremony for graduating seniors, followed by the Baccalaureate Mass on Saturday, May 16. Graduation ceremonies begin at 10:30 a.m. on May 17.
Blitzer is the anchor of CNN’s “The Situation Room,” a three-hour weekday political news program. He is CNN’s lead anchor for the network’s political coverage and moderated several of CNN’s presidential primary debates in 2007 and 2008. He led CNN’s Emmy-winning “America Votes 2006” coverage and “America Votes 2004.”
Among his numerous honors, Blitzer received an Emmy Award for his 1996 coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing and a Golden CableACE for coverage of the Persian Gulf War. In November 2002, the American Veteran Awards honored him with the prestigious Ernie Pyle Journalism Award for excellence in military reporting.
Blitzer earned a history degree from the University at Buffalo, and a master’s in international relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.
Butler’s football exploits were as legendary as Bob Lanier’s in basketball. Described by former Pittsburgh Press sports editor Pat Livingston as “having the face of a choirboy and the heart of an arsonist,” Butler — a former seminary student in Canada before attending St. Bonaventure — played nine seasons with the Steelers and had 52 interceptions, tied for 23rd in NFL history.
Butler was named to the 1950s All-NFL team, and only Hall of Famers Dick “Night Train” Lane and Emlen Tunnell had more interceptions when he retired in 1959. Butler never played high school football, and only tried out for St. Bonaventure’s team at the urging of Fr. Silas Rooney, a campus friar and the school’s athletic director.
Undrafted out of college, Butler was recommended by Fr. Silas to his brother, Art, the founder of the Steelers. Butler finished his career with four consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl from 1956-1959, but a devastating knee injury ended his career. He was named to the Steelers’ 75th Anniversary team in 2007.
Butler began a remarkable scouting career in the early 1960s, highlighted by his leadership of the scouting combine BLESTO (Bears, Lions, Eagles, Steelers Talent Organization), which he headed for 44 years until his retirement in 2007. More teams, including the Buffalo Bills, later joined BLESTO.
“Jack’s interpersonal skills made his tenure remarkable,” said John R. McGinley Jr., chair of the university’s Board of Trustees. “Jack was an empowering leader who gave a start to the careers of literally scores of NFL scouts.”
McGinley, SBU class of 1965 and a minority owner of the Steelers, calls Butler his “all-time favorite Steeler … a class act. A number of individuals influenced my decision to come to St. Bonaventure; Jack was one of them.”
Kelly has worked with others on local environmental issues, including: researching the dangers of spraying pesticides for mosquito control and lawn care; the dangers of locating a landfill or industry over the local water supply; and understanding the impact of wind energy.
“When I’m in town, one of the things I’m proudest of is to be able to stand in the peace vigil with the Franciscan Sisters who have been out in the wind, snow, sleet and heat since the Iraq war began,” Kelly said.
Kelly also has been dedicated to preserving the legacy of Lax and Thomas Merton, the revered 20th century spiritual writer whom Lax befriended when Merton taught English at St. Bonaventure in the 1940s.
“On this, the 40th anniversary of Merton’s death, it is fitting for the university to honor one who continues to advance the spiritual and cultural legacy of these two soul friends and authors,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., university president.
Kelly and her husband, Jack, who live in New York City but maintain their family home in Olean, are writers of their own note. Over the years they have written about hundreds of monasteries and retreats, including Mt. Irenaeus, the Franciscan sanctuary in West Clarksville. The series is called “Sanctuaries: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys and Retreats of the United States.”
The Kellys’ best seller is “One Hundred Graces: Mealtime Blessings,” which includes graces from all spiritual paths and has sold more than 100,000 copies. Marcia also wrote a column for the Olean Times Herald profiling local families in need and listing local agencies that people could join with to help.
In the 1980s Kelly founded Electronic Services Unlimited, the first company to study telecommuting and location-independent work. The company was profiled by Business Week, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, “Today” show and CNN. She sold the business 20 years ago to International Data Group, allowing her to spend more time traveling and writing.
Buffalo native Wolf Blitzer, a CNN reporter since 1990 and anchor since 1998, will be the keynote speaker when the class of 2009 graduates. Blitzer will be joined on stage by John B. “Jack” Butler, SBU class of 1951 and an all-pro defensive back for the Steelers in the 1950s; and Marcia Marcus Kelly, a niece of renowned Olean poet Robert Lax.
Commencement activities begin Friday, May 15, with the traditional Candlelight Ceremony for graduating seniors, followed by the Baccalaureate Mass on Saturday, May 16. Graduation ceremonies begin at 10:30 a.m. on May 17.
Blitzer is the anchor of CNN’s “The Situation Room,” a three-hour weekday political news program. He is CNN’s lead anchor for the network’s political coverage and moderated several of CNN’s presidential primary debates in 2007 and 2008. He led CNN’s Emmy-winning “America Votes 2006” coverage and “America Votes 2004.” Among his numerous honors, Blitzer received an Emmy Award for his 1996 coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing and a Golden CableACE for coverage of the Persian Gulf War. In November 2002, the American Veteran Awards honored him with the prestigious Ernie Pyle Journalism Award for excellence in military reporting.
Blitzer earned a history degree from the University at Buffalo, and a master’s in international relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C.
Butler’s football exploits were as legendary as Bob Lanier’s in basketball. Described by former Pittsburgh Press sports editor Pat Livingston as “having the face of a choirboy and the heart of an arsonist,” Butler — a former seminary student in Canada before attending St. Bonaventure — played nine seasons with the Steelers and had 52 interceptions, tied for 23rd in NFL history. Butler was named to the 1950s All-NFL team, and only Hall of Famers Dick “Night Train” Lane and Emlen Tunnell had more interceptions when he retired in 1959. Butler never played high school football, and only tried out for St. Bonaventure’s team at the urging of Fr. Silas Rooney, a campus friar and the school’s athletic director.
Undrafted out of college, Butler was recommended by Fr. Silas to his brother, Art, the founder of the Steelers. Butler finished his career with four consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl from 1956-1959, but a devastating knee injury ended his career. He was named to the Steelers’ 75th Anniversary team in 2007.
Butler began a remarkable scouting career in the early 1960s, highlighted by his leadership of the scouting combine BLESTO (Bears, Lions, Eagles, Steelers Talent Organization), which he headed for 44 years until his retirement in 2007. More teams, including the Buffalo Bills, later joined BLESTO.
“Jack’s interpersonal skills made his tenure remarkable,” said John R. McGinley Jr., chair of the university’s Board of Trustees. “Jack was an empowering leader who gave a start to the careers of literally scores of NFL scouts.”
McGinley, SBU class of 1965 and a minority owner of the Steelers, calls Butler his “all-time favorite Steeler … a class act. A number of individuals influenced my decision to come to St. Bonaventure; Jack was one of them.”
Kelly has worked with others on local environmental issues, including: researching the dangers of spraying pesticides for mosquito control and lawn care; the dangers of locating a landfill or industry over the local water supply; and understanding the impact of wind energy. “When I’m in town, one of the things I’m proudest of is to be able to stand in the peace vigil with the Franciscan Sisters who have been out in the wind, snow, sleet and heat since the Iraq war began,” Kelly said.
Kelly also has been dedicated to preserving the legacy of Lax and Thomas Merton, the revered 20th century spiritual writer whom Lax befriended when Merton taught English at St. Bonaventure in the 1940s.
“On this, the 40th anniversary of Merton’s death, it is fitting for the university to honor one who continues to advance the spiritual and cultural legacy of these two soul friends and authors,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., university president.
Kelly and her husband, Jack, who live in New York City but maintain their family home in Olean, are writers of their own note. Over the years they have written about hundreds of monasteries and retreats, including Mt. Irenaeus, the Franciscan sanctuary in West Clarksville. The series is called “Sanctuaries: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys and Retreats of the United States.”
The Kellys’ best seller is “One Hundred Graces: Mealtime Blessings,” which includes graces from all spiritual paths and has sold more than 100,000 copies. Marcia also wrote a column for the Olean Times Herald profiling local families in need and listing local agencies that people could join with to help.
In the 1980s Kelly founded Electronic Services Unlimited, the first company to study telecommuting and location-independent work. The company was profiled by Business Week, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, “Today” show and CNN. She sold the business 20 years ago to International Data Group, allowing her to spend more time traveling and writing.
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