Framingham State to Hold 175th Commencement Ceremonies May 18

Massachusetts Secretary of Education Matthew Malone will deliver 
the undergraduate commencement address and receive an honorary degree during Framingham State University’s 175th.

The University will also award a posthumous honorary degree to renowned education reformer Horace Mann, the state’s first Secretary of Education who founded Framingham State in 1839 as the first public normal school in America. 

“As we celebrate our 175th Horace Mann, whose vision for the Massachusetts Normal Schools paved the way for higher education to be extended to new segments of the population, including women 
and minorities,” said Framingham State University Interim President Robert A. Martin. “Today, Secretary Malone carries on Mann’s mission of ensuring every resident of the Commonwealth has access to an excellent and affordable education. His experience as a combat veteran in the United State Marine Corp., and his record of success raising student achievement 
levels at several different school districts will inspire our graduates.” 

As Secretary of Education, Malone directs the Executive Office of Education and works closely with the Commonwealth’s education agencies – Department of Early Education and Care, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of Higher Education and the University of Massachusetts system.

Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Malone served as the Superintendent of the Brockton Public Schools, the state’s fourth largest school district, where he was successful in increasing overall student achievement and narrowing the achievement gaps among students in the city. 

Framingham State’s Undergraduate Commencement will take place at 2 p.m. on the Framingham Town Green.
 
The University will also hold its Graduate Commencement on May 18, at 10 a.m. on the Town Green. Dr. Elaine Beilin, a longtime faculty member and current chair of the University's English Department, will give the graduate commencement address.