Like almost everything else about this very special academic year, the Freeman School’s 88th commencement ceremony was a poignant, unprecedented affair.
It was the first Freeman School commencement to be held on Tulane’s uptown campus in seven years and the first ever in Tulane’s Fogelman Arena. A standing-room-only audience of 3,000 attended the ceremony while overflow crowds watched a live broadcast of the event in Goldring/Woldenberg Hall II.
“You will always have stories to tell about evacuating Tulane and New Orleans and about your return to the university and the city that have become part of you,” Dean Angelo DeNisi told the graduates. “Your return tells me that you are dedicated to meeting your commitments, that you are resilient and can adjust to unprecedented situations, and that you have the resolve to be the best that you can be. Each of you has experienced individual success and private triumphs, and you will continue to do so. It is an honor to be with you on such a special occasion.”
DeNisi awarded diplomas to 447 graduates, comprising 303 BSMs, 94 MBAs, 25 MFINs, 21 MACCTs and four PhDs.
Also during the ceremony, R. Mark Bostick (MBA ’77), president of Comcar Industries, received the 2006 Outstanding Alumnus Award. A privately held company based in Auburndale, Fla., Comcar is one of the 15 largest trucking groups in the United States. Founded in 1953, the company today boasts more than 5,000 employees nationwide. Bostick, who serves on the Business School Council, joined the company in 1977 and became president in 1989.
Three members of the class of 1956 were present to be honored in recognition of the 50th anniversary of their graduation from the Freeman School. Ramon J. deReyna, Joel Stern and Rudolph Viener III each received a special commencement certificate from Dean DeNisi.
