Husband and Wife Astronauts to Speak at the 127th Commencement Exercises at Westminster College
Salt Lake City-Westminster College President Peggy Stock announced the speakers and honorary degree recipients for the college's commencement exercises to be held Saturday, June 8, 2002, at 9 a.m. The 2002 commencement will be Stock's final public ceremony before she officially leaves the college on July 15.
The speakers for Westminster's 127th commencement will be astronauts Dr. Rhea Seddon and her husband, Captain Robert L. "Hoot" Gibson. Civic, business, and philanthropic leaders Norman C. Tanner and Barbara Lindquist Tanner will also receive honorary degrees. Stock will present The President's Medal to Questar Corp. Chairman of the Board of Directors and former 20-year CEO, Don Cash. Board of Trustees Chair, Ginger Giovale, will honor Westminster College graduates, Forrest S. Cuch and Doug Morton, with Distinguished Alumni Awards.
Dr. Rhea SeddonSelected as an astronaut in August 1979, Seddon, a surgeon, is a three-flight veteran with more than 722 hours in space. She also assisted in the preparation of cardiovascular experiments that flew aboard Space Shuttle Columbia on the Neurolab Spacelab flight in 1998. Retired from NASA, she is now the assistant chief medical officer of the Vanderbilt Medical Group in Nashville, Tennessee and mother to four children.
Captain Robert L. "Hoot" GibsonGibson became an astronaut in August 1979 and flew five missions, totaling more than 36 days in space. A fighter pilot who flew combat missions in Southeast Asia and a Navy test pilot, Gibson is a graduate of the Naval Fighter Weapons School "TopGun." In 1995, Gibson commanded the first Space Shuttle mission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mir. Retired from NASA, he is currently a pilot for Southwest Airlines, an aerospace consultant, and a professional speaker.
Norman C. and Barbara L. TannerNorm and Barbara Tanner have devoted a lifetime to philanthropic and humanitarian concerns. Committed to their causes, the Tanners have provided the active citizenship and community leadership to realize meaningful results for the organizations they serve and the community as a whole. The Tanners have received numerous awards for their philanthropy including United Way's Alexis de Tocqueville Award for their commitment to volunteerism and philanthropy, Man and Woman of the Year by the Arthritis Foundation, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society's Hope Chest Award for their contributions to the advancement of the purpose, programs, and activities of the society.
Forrest S. CuchSince graduating from Westminster College in 1973, Forrest S. Cuch has been a multicultural educator, administrator, and planner. As the executive director of the Division of Indian Affairs for the Department of Community and Economic Development in the State of Utah, Cuch works to promote positive intergovernmental relations between Indian tribes and governmental agencies and to increase economic development opportunities on Indian reservations.
Doug MortonA 1973 graduate of Westminster College, John Douglas Morton has worked for over 30 years in the retail sporting goods industry. As president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board of Gart Sports, he has directed the growth of the company from sales of $150 million to more than $1.1 billion through internal growth and acquisitions. Morton serves on the Sporting Goods Manufacturers' Board of Directors.
Don CashR.D. (Don) Cash has been the chief executive officer for natural gas company Questar Corporation for the past 20 years. Trained as a petroleum engineer, he has transformed the company, expanding its oil and natural gas reserves as well as its exploration efforts. Cash serves on the boards of directors of Questar Corporation and all of its subsidiaries, Zions Bancorporation, and Zions First National Bank.
Westminster College, Utah's only private, nondenominational, nonprofit college, prepares its students for personal and professional success through a foundation of liberal education, combined with professional programs that include vital technological and communication skills. U.S. News & World Report has ranked Westminster in the top tier of regional colleges and universities in the Western United States for seven straight years. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu.
Contacts:Brent Wilhite, 801-832-2684, [email protected]Anne Macdonald, 801-832-2680, [email protected]
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