Whitman selected as baccalaureate speaker

Princeton NJ -- Meg Whitman, president and chief executive officer of eBay Inc. and a Princeton trustee, will be the speaker at this year's baccalaureate, the interfaith worship service that is one of Princeton's oldest traditions. The ceremony is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, June 2.

Whitman guided the expansion of eBay from a small, U.S.-focused Internet trading site to a global marketplace with 42 million registered users and more than $9 billion in gross merchandise sales. Before joining eBay, she held senior positions at Hasbro Inc., the Walt Disney Co. and Bain & Co.

Meg Whitman

A member of the class of 1977, Whitman has a record of commitment to the University, including service as a trustee since 2000. She and her family are making a gift of $30 million toward the construction of a new residential college to be called Whitman College, which will allow the University to expand the undergraduate student body and to provide more varied educational and social opportunities. Whitman also is on the steering committee of Princeton's Women In Leadership Initiative, an effort launched in 1998 to encourage alumnae to participate as philanthropists and volunteers.

"Members of the senior class suggested Meg Whitman as a speaker several weeks before any announcement of the Whitman College gift because of their own interest in eBay and e-commerce and because the class of 1977 has a special, supportive relationship with the class of 2002," said Vice President and Secretary Thomas Wright. "We are very grateful that she has agreed to speak."

Baccalaureate is an end-of-the-year ceremony focused on members of the senior class. Held in the University Chapel, it includes prayers and readings from various religious and philosophical traditions.

The earliest recorded baccalaureate address -- entitled "Religion and the Public Spirit" -- was delivered by President Samuel Davies in 1760 to the 11 members of the graduating class. Since 1972, the address has been given by a speaker chosen by the president after consultation with senior class leaders.

Seating in the chapel is limited to members of the senior class and faculty procession. Seniors receive two tickets for family and guests who may view the ceremony via simulcast, including on large screens to be set up outside the chapel.