Madeleine Albright to speak at Mercersburg Academy commencement

Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright will be the featured speaker when Mercersburg Academy holds its 119th commencement on May 26, at 10:30 a.m. on the traditional outdoor platform between Keil Hall and South Cottage.

The 127 members of the class of 2012 come from 14 nations and 21 American states, plus the District of Columbia. They will be moving on to 88 colleges around the nation and world, according to a news release from the school.


Albright will deliver the commencement address. She is chairwoman of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and chairwoman of Albright Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets.

She was the 64th Secretary of State of the United States and will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Obama later this spring.

In 1997, Albright was named the first female secretary of state and became, at that time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. As secretary of state, Albright reinforced America's alliances, advocated for democracy and human rights, and promoted American trade, business, labor, and environmental standards abroad.

Head of School Douglas Hale will present academic honors and special awards, in addition to awarding the diplomas with President of the Board of Regents Denise M. Dupré '76.

The ceremony will be streamed live via the Mercersburg website at www.mercersburg.edu. In case of inclement weather, commencement will be held in the Burgin Center for the Arts.