Emma Willard in the News

Vice President of NBC News to Speak at 193rd Commencement

May 29, 2007

mma Willard School announced today that Lyne Johnson Pitts, Class of 1972, will deliver the commencement address at the school’s 193rd Commencement Exercises, to be held Sunday, June 3, at 10 a.m. on the school’s campus at 285 Pawling Ave. in Troy.

Pitts is the vice president of NBC News, where she oversees the news division’s strategic partnerships and overall production management. She joined NBC News as executive producer of “Today, Weekend Edition,” in February 2006 following a remarkable 23-year career at CBS News, where from 2003 to 2004 she served as senior broadcast producer of the “CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.” Pitts was also executive producer of the “CBS Early Show” and, from 1997 to 1999, served as executive producer of the weekend edition of the “CBS Evening News,” where she was honored with a News and Documentary Emmy Award for her coverage of the death of Princess Diana.

At the 193rd consecutive graduation since the school’s founding in 1814, Emma Willard will award diplomas to 78 seniors and three post-graduate students. The school will also make surprise announcements of the winners of the Jameson Adkins Baxter Award, given to the graduate who has shown the most growth during her time at Emma Willard, and the Clementine Miller Tangeman Award, given to the graduate who has shown exemplary enthusiasm, dedication, and creativity. In a departure from conventional graduation ceremonies, Emma Willard graduates do not wear caps and gowns; each student wears a white dress and carries a red rose to symbolize the school’s colors.

Because of extensive construction on the campus, parking and access will be limited. For more information about Emma Willard School’s 193rd Commencement ceremony,  contact Steve Ricci at sricci@emmawillard.org, (518) 833-1785.