Newswise — Alphonse "Buddy" Fletcher Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Fletcher Asset Management Inc. will be a featured speaker at Clarkson University's 113th Commencement in Potsdam, New York, on Sunday, May 14.
Fletcher will address the more than 700 Clarkson students being granted bachelor's,master's and doctoral degrees that day. He will also receive an honorary degree from Clarkson in recognition of his philanthropy to many causes including a $50 million initiative which awards fellowships to scholars, writers and artists working on civil rights issues that further the broad goals of the landmark "Brown v. Board of Education," a Supreme Court ruling passed 50 years ago. He is also being honored for his environmental efforts and support of education.
Fletcher earned a bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics from Harvard University and a master's degree in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He founded Fletcher Asset Management Inc. in 1991. Fletcher has a long-standing interest in community service and philanthropy.
A variety of projects, including forest de-fragmentation, the creation of urban parks, wetlands restoration, coastal ecology studies, and the preservation of historic architecture, have benefited from Fletcher's involvement and generosity. As a strong supporter of education, he has donated over 1,000 copies of Microsoft's Encarta Africana software to public elementary, middle and high schools in New York City and surrounding areas. He has arranged for students from New York City and Connecticut to visit a company-sponsored exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art titled "African American Artists, 1929-1945: Prints, Drawings and Paintings," as well as a related exhibit at the Studio Museum in Harlem.
Fletcher's commitment to community service and his contributions to business and society, including the establishment of a University Professorship at Harvard, have earned him numerous awards and honors. In the spring of 1996, Harvard University announced the endowment of the Alphonse Fletcher University Professorship. He has also received the Ernst & Young New York City Entrepreneur of the Year award, the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity's 2002 Leadership Award, and the 2004 United Negro College Funds Extraordinary Black Man Award.
Clarkson University, located in Potsdam, New York, is a private, nationally ranked University with a reputation for developing innovative leaders in engineering, business, the sciences, health sciences and the humanities. At Clarkson, 3,000 high-ability students excel in an environment where learning is not only positive, friendly and supportive but spans the boundaries of traditional disciplines and knowledge. Faculty achieves international recognition for their research and scholarship and connects students to their leadership potential in the marketplace through dynamic, real-world problem solving.
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