Mary Eisenhower, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kansas City-based People to People International, will be the featured speaker for the 2009 commencement ceremony at William Jewell College. Commencement is scheduled for 1 p.m. May 16 in the Mabee Center for Physical Education on the campus in Liberty, Mo.

Other events mark commencement weekend, including the Baccalaureate Service at 9 a.m. in Gano Chapel; the speaker will be Connie Stinson, senior pastor of Luther Rice Memorial Baptist Church in Silver Spring, Md. After the service, the President's Home, Grand River Chapel, the Schoolhouse and the Perch Coffee Shop in the Union will be open until 12:15 p.m. The traditional "Last Walk Around the Quad" will take place at 12:30 p.m. outside Gano Chapel. At 3 p.m., new grads, family and friends will gather for a "New Alumni" photo party outside the Mabee Center.

Mary Eisenhower was born in Washington, D.C., during her grandfather Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first term as U.S. President. Her People to People International experiences have included everything from meeting first families to diverse cultural, educational and humanitarian exchanges at home and abroad. She received an Honorary Doctorate from Schiller International University. She also was awarded the Knight of Peace Award from the International University in Assisi, Italy.

The purpose of People to People International is to enhance international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities involving the exchange of ideas and experiences directly among peoples of different countries and diverse cultures.

William Jewell College is committed to bringing together talented students and gifted faculty mentors within a vibrant community sparked by a rigorous and intentional liberal arts curriculum. A full range of personal and professional development experiences are presented by the selective national liberal arts college’s location within the Kansas City metroplex of more than 1.5 million.