Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579 (desk)
(574) 286-4977 (cell)
March 3, 2009 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary’s College is pleased to announce that broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff will deliver the 2009 Commencement address and receive an honorary doctor of humanities degree from the College. Saint Mary’s will also recognize Deborah Johnson Schwiebert ‘74, former chair of the Board of Trustees, with an honorary doctor of humanities degree. Commencement will take place on May 16, 2009 at noon on Le Mans Green.
Woodruff, who is a graduate of Duke University, has covered politics and other news for more than three decades at CNN, NBC and PBS. Most recently, she signed on as a senior correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."
For 12 years, Woodruff served as anchor and senior correspondent for CNN, anchoring the weekday political program, "Inside Politics." Woodruff also played a central role in the network's political coverage and other major news stories.
At PBS from 1983 to 1993, she was the chief Washington correspondent for "The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour." From 1984-1990, she also anchored PBS' award-winning weekly documentary series, "Frontline with Judy Woodruff."
At NBC News, Woodruff served as White House correspondent from 1977 to 1982. For one year after that she served as NBC's Today Show chief Washington correspondent.
Woodruff has been a friend of Saint Mary's College since September 2005 when she served as a moderator at a conference sponsored by the College’s Center for Spirituality titled “Vatican II Forty Years Later: Legacy, Leadership, and Unfinished Business.”
Schwiebert has given her time, talent and treasure to the College for the past 16 years. She has served on the Board of Trustees since 1998 and was the Board Secretary and then its chair from 2004-2007. Other service to the College includes being on two Presidential Search Committees, serving as Chair of the Madeleva Steering Society committee, and as Vice President and President of the Alumnae Association Board of Directors. Schwiebert also served as the Annual Fund chair in the College’s 1994 Sesquicentennial Campaign. Schwiebert received the College’s Distinguished Alumnae Award in 2004.
“It has been my pleasure to serve the College these past 16 years. My Saint Mary’s education transformed my life and being able to give back to the College has been a real privilege. I am humbled by this wonderful honor and tribute,” Schwiebert said.
Professionally, Schwiebert is a 34-year employee of John Deere and currently serves as the director of communication services at Deere’s World Headquarters facility. She graduated from Saint Mary’s with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and received her master’s degree in organizational leadership from St. Ambrose University.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering bachelor’s degrees in more than 30 major areas of study. The College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2009 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
