Rick Bragg to Deliver Address at August 2 Summer Commencement

07/29/2013


Jacksonville State University announces Summer 2013 Graduation, which will be on Friday, August 2 at 7:30 p.m. at JSU Stadium.

The commencement speaker will be Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and former JSU student Rick Bragg. A 1992 Harvard University Nieman Fellow and former New York Times correspondent, Bragg has authored five books: All Over But the Shoutin', Ava's Man, The Prince of Frogtown, I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story, and The Most They Ever Had. 

In addition to the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing, Bragg has received more than 50 writing awards in 20 years, including the American Society of Newspaper Editors Distinguished Writing Award, the 2009 Harper Lee Award for Alabama's Distinguished Writer of the Year, the 2011 James Beard Journalism Award for Food Culture and Travel and the 2013 Alabama Artist of the Year. He currently teaches advanced magazine writing and narrative non-fiction in the journalism department at the University of Alabama. 

He is the son of Margaret Bragg and is married to Dianne Bragg. He has a stepson, Jake. 

At the ceremony, JSU will bestow upon Bragg the honorary doctor of letters for his accomplishments on behalf of the citizens of Alabama.

Jacksonville State University congratulates all our outstanding graduates and welcomes family and friends to our campus and the ceremony.

Parking for guests is available surrounding the graduation entrances. Handicapped parking is available on the east side of the stadium. Handicapped and wheelchair seating is available at Gate A in the stadium. Sign language interpreting will be provided on the stage.

Commencement will be televised on WEAC-TV24 (local Cable One channel 9). It can also be viewed live from a computer on the web via the JSU Television Services website.

The ceremony will be archived for two weeks after commencement.

For more information, call the JSU Office of Public Relations at (256)782-5636.

Graduating students needing information may find it on the Registrar's website.

Photo: Rick Bragg speaks at JSU in September 2011. (Steve Latham/JSU)