Sen. Sherrod Brown will address autumn Ohio State University graduates
Brown is in his third term in the U.S. Senate
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown will deliver the commencement address to autumn Ohio State University graduates. Approximately 3,600 students will receive degrees during the ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15 at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
“I am pleased to welcome U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown to speak at our university’s autumn commencement ceremony,” said President Michael V. Drake. “An engaged leader and proud Ohio State alumnus, Senator Brown lends his broad expertise to some of our nation’s most significant policy discussions. His passion for public service will inspire our graduates as they consider their own impact as global citizens.”
When Brown started his political career in 1975 at age 22, he was the youngest person ever elected to the Ohio House of Representative.
He was elected to Congress in 1992, representing Ohio’s 13th district in the western and southern suburbs of Cleveland, and went on to be re-elected six times. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, and has been re-elected twice. After winning his third term in 2018, he was considered a potential candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, but ultimately decided that he would not run for president.
Brown’s biography describes him as a champion of the middle class, Congress’ leading proponent of American manufacturing, and a longtime advocate for fair trade.
He is the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee and played an instrumental role in passing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. He also serves on the Senate Committee on Finance.
Brown is the first Ohio senator in 40 years to serve on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, where he has worked on strengthening the farm safety net and addressing childhood hunger.
Brown is also a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, where he has advocated for veterans training programs to ensure returning service members have access to good-paying, high-demand jobs.
An Eagle Scout, Brown is a native of Mansfield. He earned a B.A. at Yale University, and master’s degrees in both education and public administration from Ohio State in 1979 and 1981.
During the ceremony, the university will present the Distinguished Service Award to Katherine (Kitty) Kisker, who served on the faculty and staff as an administrator for 35 years and continues as an adviser and volunteer with the College of Nursing.
Commencement ceremony ticketing and security
Due to the steadily increasing size of the university’s graduating class, Ohio State has instituted a ticketing process for Autumn Commencement. Graduating students be required to request tickets for their guests. Tickets are free but must be ordered online through the “My Ohio State Student Account” portal used to request athletic or other tickets. Autumn graduates may request up to four tickets and will have the option to join a waitlist for up to four additional tickets. Learn more at https://commencement.osu.edu/graduates/tickets-graduates
The Jerome Schottenstein Center has upgraded security measures and guests will be asked to walk through metal detectors to enter the arena. The upgrade is consistent with many similar venues across the country. For more information see https://schottensteincenter--2018.staging.carbonhouse.com/assets/doc/Metal-Detector-Items-Signage-v2-cb77f1340e.pdf
