6-12-2009

Contact: Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385

Spring commencement is Sunday at Ohio Stadium

Ohio State will award diplomas to largest class ever

The Ohio State University will award degrees to the largest graduating class in university history – 8,162 graduates during spring commencement exercises. More than 6,000 students are expected to participate in ceremony, which begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday (6/14) in Ohio Stadium. The total breaks the previous record of 7,643 graduates set in 2006.

John H. Glenn, former U.S. Senator and astronaut will deliver the commencement address. Glenn's wife, Annie, will receive an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree. CBS correspondent Erin Moriarty ('77 JD) and Ernest Mazzaferri, Sr. ('62 MD), professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, will both receive the Distinguished Service Award.

The ceremony celebrates the academic achievements and hard work that each student has put forth to earn his or her degree. Each graduate will receive their own diploma at the ceremony, a practice rarely attempted by a university the size of Ohio State.

The ceremony will last approximately 3 hours. No tickets are required. Additional information is available commencement.osu.edu