Actor & Activist Danny Glover Honored at USF Commencement

The University of San Francisco (USF) will confer an honorary doctorate upon Danny L. Glover, acclaimed actor and activist. USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. will bestow the degree on Mr. Glover during graduation ceremonies for students in the College of Arts and Sciences Friday, Dec. 12 at 12:30 p.m. The ceremony will be held in St. Ignatius Catholic Church on the USF campus-located at 650 Parker Ave. (at Fulton Street), in San Francisco.

Mr. Glover's creativity, artistic talent, and social consciousness have positively influenced popular culture and have distinguished him as an accomplished actor of stage and screen. His versatility and commitment to sharing compelling stories has translated into a long list of characters in theater, television, and film. Some of Mr. Glover's most memorable films include Places in the Heart, Witness, The Color Purple, and Lethal Weapon-followed by three successful Lethal Weapon sequels.

"I am especially pleased that USF honors this great artist who has always used his celebrity status to advance the cause of social justice and human respect for all members of our diverse society," said USF President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J.

A native San Franciscan, Mr. Glover overcame a struggle with dyslexia by building his confidence and excelling in mathematics as a young man. He studied economics at San Francisco State University, where he joined the Black Students Union, a group that was pivotal in establishing the country's first college of ethnic studies and creating intersections between the campus and the community. It was his time as a college student that ignited his PASSION for social justice causes. As his success and notoriety grew as an actor, so too did his social and philanthropic efforts.

In 1994, Mr. Glover traveled to South Africa to urge its citizens to participate in that country's first fully democratic national election. He is respected for his wide-reaching advocacy for economic justice, access to health care, and education programs in the United States and Africa. He is a public voice on issues involving educational opportunities for underserved communities, global human rights, and AIDS. Mr. Glover served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program from 1998-2004 and currently serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, where he continues to focus on issues of poverty, disease and economic development in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

In honoring Mr. Glover with the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, USF recognizes the ways he uses his talents and artistic expression as platforms to spotlight social responsibility, equality, and justice for all.

The Dec. 12 commencement marks the first USF graduation ceremony for USF's new President Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. He will confer degrees upon 938 graduates.

About USF
The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world's most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco's first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student's PASSION for social justice and a desire to "Change the World from Here." For more information, please visit http://www.usfca.edu.

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