Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will be the speaker for the 2009 commencement ceremony.

Loyola announced that Jindal will address the 2009 undergraduate class at their graduation in the Louisiana Superdome on May 9.

According to Special Events Coordinator Angela Turnbull, Loyola examined a group of honorary degree recipients. The recipients, “are recommended by various people and their recommendations (pass) before committees,” she said.  The recommendations will “ultimately be approved by the board director.”

There are several honorary degree recipients, including jazz musician Herbie Hancock. Hancock is also the Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at Loyola. The recipients are recommended by various people and their recommendations go before committees where it is ultimately approved by the board director.

“Often times the commencement speaker is the honorary degree recipient but it does not necessarily have to be,” she said. 

Turnbull said, in this particular case, the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president, consulted various groups on campus and picked Bobby Jindal.

“They decided that Bobby Jindal would be an excellent choice for commencement this year,” she said. “He is a young and dynamic leader.”

Andrea Castillo can be reached at [email protected]. Rachel Strassel also contributed to this report.