Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients

The award-winning journalist took over the helm of Meet the Press in December 1991. Since then, the show has become the most watched Sunday morning interview program in America and the most quoted news program in the world. Russert’s many awards include a 2005 Emmy for his role in the coverage of the funeral of President Ronald Regan; the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement; The Joan S. Barone Award, which is the highest award given by the Radio and Television Correspondents, for his Election 2000: Meet the Press interviews with George Bush and All Gore; and the Annenberg Center’s Walter Cronkite Award.

Russert is the author of two books, Big Russ and Me (Random House, 2004) and Wisdom of Our Fathers (Random House, 2006), which are highly acclaimed bestsellers.

Tim Russert, NBC anchor,
Meet The Press

Dr. Charles F. Bryan Jr. received the honorary Doctor of Letters degree. He has served as president and CEO of the Virginia Historical Society since 1988. During this time, he has overseen fundraising campaigns that have raised more than $110 million, resulting in quadrupling the size of the VHS headquarters building and a significant expansion of educational programs statewide.

A respected consultant and speaker at museums and historical societies throughout the United States, Bryan has published extensively on the management of history museums and on the American Civil War. He co-edited the best-seller Eye of the Storm: A Civil War Odyssey (Free Press, 2000), and a follow-up volume, Images from the Storm (Free Press, 2001), based on the diary of Union soldier Robert K. Sneden. Dr. Bryan currently serves on the board of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and is president of the Independent Research Libraries Association.

In 2006, The VHS named a new wing in honor of Dr. Bryan to recognize his long and successful service. He will retire in December 2008.

Charles F. Bryan, Ph.D.,
Virginia Historical Society

Sue Forbes Watson received the honorary Doctor of Letters degree. She became the first woman appointed to the Hanover County School Board in 1976. During her more than 30 years on the board, she has served as chairman seven times. She taught high school English in Georgia, Maryland and North Carolina. After moving to Virginia, she also taught at Hermitage High School in Henrico County.

Watson is the co-founder of the Ashland Musical Variety Show, which raises money for the Hanover Arts and Activities Center. She tirelessly volunteers her time on organization boards including the Ashland 150^th Committee; the State Advisory Committee for the Talented and Gifted; the Virginia School Boards Association; the Math-Science Center Board; the Cultural Arts Advisory Committee; the Governor’s School Board; and the Metro Educational Research Consortium.

Watson is married to Dr. Ritchie Watson (English) who is one of R-MC’s retiring faculty this year.

Sue Forbes Watson,
Hanover County
School Board

Walter W. Craigie Jr. received the honorary Doctor of Laws degree. He is a senior advisor with Morgan Keegan & Company, a regional investment banking, securities brokerage, trust and asset management firm. He has served in the executive branch of the Commonwealth of Virginia as Treasurer and Secretary of Finance. Through the years, he has advised governors on financial and budget issues. Craigie is currently an appointed member of the Virginia Debt Capacity Advisory committee and also serves on the Washington Airports Task Force Board.

Craigie’s relationship to R-MC goes back to his great-grandfather, a pre-Civil War graduate of the college. In 1983, his father created the Walter W. Craigie Teaching and Research Grants, which has gifted R-MC with more than $500,000. In 2007, he and his wife created the Walter W. and Berenice D. Craigie Scholarship through the Brown Challenge. He is a member of the R-MC Presidents Society, Heritage Society and is a trustee emeritus of the Board of Trustees since 2005.

Craigie’s non-profit work includes chairman of the Woodberry Forest School Board of Trustees, a school founded by his great-grandfather; trustee and president of St. John’s Church Foundation; trustee, MCV Foundation; trustee, The Montpelier Foundation; and former trustee, Collegiate Schools.

Walter W. Craigie, Jr.,
Morgan Keegan & Company