Columbus mayor and 1967 Ohio State alumnus Gregory S. Lashutka will be the speaker at Fall Commencement on Dec. 10.
The commencement will take place at 9:30 a.m. in St. John Arena with about 1,400 graduates.
“The mayor’s commencement address has not been completed, however the mayor is expected to challenge graduates spiritually and examine the power of dialogue in our daily lives,” said Gary Parks, spokesman for the mayor.
Lashutka, 55, earned a degree in history while serving as co-captain of the football team in 1965. Afterwards, Lashutka briefly played professional football for the Buffalo Bills.
After serving four years of active duty in Vietnam, Lashutka graduated from Capital University Law School in 1974.
He was elected to two terms as Columbus City Attorney from 1978 to 1985.
Lashutka is the 46th mayor of Columbus. In 1993, Lashutka was named Municipal Leader of the Year by American City and County Magazine. He served as president of the National League of Cities in 1996, and served as spokesman and representative for more than 3,000 municipalities nationwide.
His community involvement has earned him the Jewish National Fund‘s Tree of Life award in 1994. In 1992, he was awarded the National Football Foundation Association’s Mr. Ohio Gold Award and the National Eagle Scout Award in 1996.
This year is Lashutka’s last as Columbus’ mayor. Afterward, he will join Nationwide Insurance as the senior vice president of community and government relations.
Lashutka could not be reached for comment.
In addition to speaking, Lashutka will be one of five individuals being honored at the ceremony. He, along with retired CEO and chairman of Banc One Corp. John G. McCoy and Ilse Lehiste, professor emeritus in Ohio State’s Department of Linguistics, will receive honorary doctorates.
Kathryn M. Moore, professor and director of the Center for the Study of Advanced Learning Systems at Michigan State University and Wilburn H. Weddington Sr., professor emeritus of clinical family medicine and former associate dean of OSU’s College of Medicine, will both be receiving the Distinguished Service Award.
