Chatham University 2018 Commencement Details & Speaker
PITTSBURGH— Chatham University's Spring 2018 Commencement Ceremony will be held on Sunday, April 29, at 1:00 p.m. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. The ceremony will be held on the Third Floor in the Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom. This is a ticketed event and tickets are required for admission. Please visit the Convention Center website for directions and parking details.
View photos from Chatham's Spring 2018 Commencement Ceremony here »
The speaker and honorary degree recipient will be William Strickland, President and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and its subsidiaries, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCG) and Bidwell Training Center (BTC), and National Center for Arts and Technology. Mr. Strickland has created an educational model designed to create empowering educational environments for adults-in-transition, as well as urban and at-risk youth, enriching Southwestern Pennsylvania and the world.
In 1968, Bill founded Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild to help combat the economic and social devastation experienced by the residents of his North Side neighborhood. Later in 1972, he assumed leadership of Bidwell Training Center to guide its transition to providing skills relevant to Pittsburgh’s economy. GRAMMY®-winning MCG Jazz was added to the MBC family in 1987, which is one of the longest-running jazz subscription series in America. What started as an informal art program and exhibition space for inner-city minority children has now transformed into a 62,000 sq. ft. arts and career-training center, as well as a 40,000 sq. ft. production and educational greenhouse.
Throughout Strickland’s distinguished career, he has been honored with numerous prestigious awards for his contributions to arts and the community, including the coveted MacArthur “Genius” award. He is also the author of Make the Impossible Possible.