Chris Matthews of MSNBC's "Hardball," to Address Holy Cross Graduates

WORCESTER, Mass. – Chris Matthews, host of NBC's The Chris Matthews Show and MSNBC's Hardball, will deliver the principal address and receive an honorary degree at the 157th Commencement ceremony at the College of the Holy Cross on Friday, May 23.

Holy Cross will graduate 701 men and women during the ceremony, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Fitton Field. In case of rain, the commencement exercises will be held in the Hart Recreation Center.

A proud and devoted 1967 graduate of Holy Cross, Chris Matthews has distinguished himself as a journalist, Washington bureau chief, presidential speechwriter, congressional staffer and best-selling author of four books.

Matthews is the author of Hardball (1988), Kennedy & Nixon (1996), Now Let Me Tell You What I Really Think (2001), and American: Beyond Our Grandest Notions (2002).

He joined the San Francisco Examiner in 1987, serving as Washington Bureau Chief for 13 years. Prior to entering journalism, Matthews served as a speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter and a top aide to House Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.

The following individuals will also receive honorary degrees.

Iris Cantor will be honored for her cutting edge philanthropy and advocacy of improved health care for women and for her passion and efforts on behalf of the visual arts. As president and chairman of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, her extraordinary efforts have led to the founding of the Iris Cantor Women's Health Center at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center and of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women's Health Center and the Iris Cantor Center for Breast Imaging, also at UCLA. These Centers reflect her vision, which calls for bringing together the finest medical care for women under one roof, thus providing them with what she describes as "one stop shopping." Her support for biomedical research in many fields also is well known, and in 2002, Iris Cantor was awarded The UCLA Medal, the University's highest honor, because of her distinguished contributions to health care and the arts.

Cantor's passionate support for the visual arts has been acclaimed internationally. Among the many awards she has received are the honorable distinction of Chevalier in the French National Order of the Legion of Honor for her work promoting appreciation for the French sculptor Auguste Rodin, and the prestigious title of Cavaliere Ufficiale in the Order of Merit, one of Italy's highest public service awards. At Holy Cross the name of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Gallery commemorates Iris Cantor's vision and generosity, as do artworks by Rodin and others that as a result of her gift grace the campus.

Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., will be recognized with an honorary degree. Widely regarded as the most prominent, living American Catholic theologian, he was the first American theologian to be named to the College of Cardinals and the first American Jesuit to become a Cardinal. He is the author of 21 books and 700 articles, and his work is a foundation of theology courses and ecclesiological discussions. Cardinal Dulles is the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University.