William Peace University Names Burley Mitchell As 2012 Commencement Speaker

Four-Year Baccalaureate University Welcomes Former N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice To Deliver Commencement Address. End Quote

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (1888PressRelease) March 07, 2012 - William Peace University (http://www.peace.edu), a private four-year university located in downtown Raleigh, has announced that Burley Mitchell is the 2012 commencement speaker. Formerly Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, Mitchell will provide the commencement address to the 2012 graduates of William Peace University on Saturday, May 5. Mitchell, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, served as an assistant attorney general of North Carolina from 1969 to 1972 and a district attorney from 1972 to 1977. A judge on more than 400 decisions, Mitchell has ruled on numerous landmark cases such as Leandro v. State of North Carolina, which argued the issue of equal educational opportunities without bias for all children within the state of North Carolina. Now retired, Mitchell continues to dedicate his time to serving the North Carolina community, through his seat on the board of trustees for NC State University, the University of North Carolina's Board of Governors, and a chairman of the advisory panel on federal judicial nominees for U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan. His wife, Lou Willett Mitchell, is an active university alumnae from the graduating class of 1962, and the couple co-chaired the largest fundraising campaign in the college's history - the $30 million Promise of Peace Campaign. His mother and grandmother both attended the university as well.

Previous commencement speakers at William Peace University include a wide range of political leaders both on the local and national circuit, such as state Rep. Deborah K. Ross of Wake County and Willis Whichard, former N.C. Supreme Court Justice.

QUOTES:
"Burley Mitchell reminds us all that with knowledge comes the ability to achieve greatness, which is why we could not be more excited to have him serve as the university's 2012 commencement speaker," said Debra M. Townsley, Ph.D., president of William Peace University. "He is a true example of leadership and talent that has been developed to improve both our local and national government. I look forward to the insight and perspective he will share with our university graduates in May as they prepare to take the next steps in their continuing journey of life."

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ABOUT WILLIAM PEACE UNIVERSITY:
William Peace University is located in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina. It was founded in 1857 as Peace Institute, offering education for boys and girls in primary grades and to women from high school to college. Peace, an all women's college, became a four-year baccalaureate college and graduated its first bachelor's students in August of 1996. Peace began offering coeducational evening courses through the William Peace School of Professional Studies in 2009. In 2011, Peace College transitioned to William Peace University and will begin admitting male students to its day program in fall 2012. Its mission is to prepare students for careers in the organizations of tomorrow. On average, more than 90 percent of the university's graduates are placed in jobs or graduate school within one year of graduation. For more information, please visit http://www.peace.edu.

Jennifer Fair
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
jennifer ( @ ) mmipublicrelations dot com
http://www.twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com

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