The search for a commencement speaker has ended–with the person who essentially forced the issue in the first place: Bill McClellan.

A local columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, McClellan’s April 23 column was critical of Saint Louis University’s selection of (now former) CEO of American Airlines Don Carty as the commencement speaker. Later that Wednesday, Carty and University President Lawrence Biondi, S.J., agreed that Carty would not be the speaker, as the controversy surrounding him would reflect negatively on the University. Carty resigned his post at American Airlines the next day.

In a subsequent column, McClellan provided his thoughts on some possible commencement speakers, including U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Missouri Speaker of the House Catherine Hanaway and SLU Vice President for Community Relations Julius Hunter.

With such input, Biondi decided that McClellan might be the man for the job. “I thought since Bill was kind enough to provide so much advice concerning commencement speakers, he might enjoy sharing his insights with our students,” Biondi said in a press release announcing the selection.

Biondi cited McClellan’s efforts to bring attention to social justice issues in his columns and his creativity in expressing his views to the St. Louis community.

Receiving his invitation via e-mail, McClellan was not sure what to think. “At first, I thought it was a gag,” he said. “I didn’t know exactly what to make of it.”

He added that he is eager to discover how his name was selected and to understand more fully the University’s purpose in inviting him–something he’ll have a chance to do when he meets Biondi for lunch today.

McClellan did have one misgiving about accepting the invitation. “To me, people graduating from college have a right to hear a bigger speaker than just a local journalist,” he said. However, he added that Carty would not have been the best, nor was last year’s lesser known speaker, University of San Diego President Alice B. Hayes.

He said, “I don’t feel like I’m replacing someone everyone wanted to hear.”

McClellan is unsure what he will speak about, but he promises to keep it brief, noting that he will not feign any wisdom he does not have.

Generally, commencement speakers are awarded honorary degrees for excelling in their career, but McClellan is uncertain whether or not he will be awarded one. University officials could not be reached for comment. McClellan, who never completed his college degree, said he would be happy to have an honorary bachelor’s degree.

With four columns to write each week, McClellan admitted that his speaking experience–which follows upon commencement speeches at Southeast Missouri State and the Potosi Correctional Facility–will likely end up in a column.

In addition to McClellan’s speech, the ceremony will award an honorary doctorate of fine arts to local activist and art aficionado Emily Rauh Pulitzer, president of the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, located in Grand Center.

An additional honorary degree may be awarded, but the recipient has yet to be named.