Roosevelt, Jr. to Speak at Commencement
March 22, 2011
James Roosevelt, Jr., the president and chief executive officer of Tufts Health Plan and grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, will deliver the Commencement Address and receive an honorary degree at the 89th Commencement Exercises to be held on Saturday, May 14th. In addition, Angela Faletra Menino, first lady of the city of Boston, and Malcolm Rogers, the Ann and Graham Gund director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will be awarded honorary degrees.
Mr. Roosevelt has enjoyed a distinguished career in law, business and government. He joined Tufts Health Plan in 1999 as senior vice president and general counsel, and assumed his current role in 2005. He serves on a number of hospital, law and health care boards and brings a valuable perspective to current issues in health care combined with a unique insight to and knowledge of the political landscape.
Mr. Roosevelt is the co-chair of the Democratic National Convention Rules and Bylaws Committee and has served as the chief legal counsel for the Massachusetts Democratic Party. Before joining Tufts Health Plan, he was associate commissioner for Retirement Policy of the Social Security Administration in the Clinton Administration, and spent 10 years as a partner at Choate, Hall and Stewart in Boston. In November 2008, Barack Obama appointed Mr. Roosevelt to his presidential transition team to co-chair a review of the Social Security Administration.
Mr. Roosevelt has served with passion and commitment on the Emmanuel College Board of Trustees for many years. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, his A.B. with honors in government from Harvard College and has also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. In 2010, he was honored with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Humanitarian of the Year award.
Each year, Emmanuel awards honorary degrees to individuals who exemplify the College's mission through their professional achievements and personal contributions to society. Ms. Menino has a long history of public service and is a strong advocate for causes that benefit young people and women. Ms. Menino is a founding member of and continues to serve on the City of Boston Women's Commission and the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. She regularly participates in events sponsored by Read Boston, the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, Patriot Trail Girl Scouts, Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, One Family, hopeFound, and Park ARTS. Ms. Menino's dedication to humanitarian causes beyond local borders has taken her to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina to participate in building a Habitat for Humanity home, and to Rwanda to visit a new school for girls established in part with funds from Boston residents. In addition to her position as first lady since 1993, Ms. Menino has spent over 40 years employed in the field of accounting for a large Boston firm.
Since 1994, Mr. Rogers has led the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in welcoming new audiences, expanding its encyclopedic collection, enhancing arts education, and bringing a variety of exhibitions to Boston of national and international importance. Under his leadership, there has been increased emphasis on the MFA's accessibility and connection to its community, and the MFA has become a more vibrant institution that welcomes over one million visitors each year. This past fall, the MFA completed its most ambitious building project, which included the opening of the acclaimed Art of the Americas Wing. A native of England, Mr. Rogers was educated at Oxford University. He is an authority on 16th, 17th, and early 18th-century portraits, and served as deputy director and deputy keeper at the National Portrait Gallery in London before assuming his current role at the MFA.
We look forward to welcoming all of our distinguished guests to campus as we celebrate the accomplishments of the Emmanuel College Class of 2011!
