About 3,861 graduating students of the Class of 1999 at California State University, Fresno will be awarded bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees in the 88th Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 22.

President John D. Welty will conduct the ceremony that begins with the processional at 9 a.m. in Bulldog Stadium. The stadium gates will open at 8 a.m. Tickets are not required.

About 3,149 students have applied for their baccalaureate degrees and nearly 712 postgraduate students have applied for their master’s degrees.

Doctorates in educational leadership offered jointly by Fresno State and the University of California, Davis will be conferred on five students.

In addition, 1,153 students completed their baccalaureate degrees and 233 graduate students finished their master’s degrees in the summer and fall 1998 academic sessions.

The commencement ceremony will include the presentation of the 1999 Distinguished Alumnus Award to Secretary of State Bill Jones, a 1971 graduate with a bachelor of science degree in agricultural business and former student body president. Jones became the first valley resident to serve in a statewide constitutional office when he was elected secretary of state in 1994.

The honorary degree doctorate of humane letters will be conferred on Hugo Morales, of Fresno, and Paul O’Neill, of Pittsburgh, Penn., during the ceremony.

Morales is founder and executive director of Radio Bilingtie, Inc., a Fresno-based network of five stations throughout the state and about 65 satellite stations throughout the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico. He holds a law degree from Harvard. O’Neill is chairman of the board of Alcoa and a 1961 graduate of then-Fresno State College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics.

The university’s Foundation Award will be presented to William M. Lyles, of Fresno, a patron of the arts and long-time supporter of the university with such projects as the Lyles Gallery located in the

John Wright Theater on campus.

The ceremony will also include the announcement by Dr. Welty of the recipient of the President’s Medal, the highest honor given by the university to a graduating student.

The recipient is chosen from the ten Dean’s Medal winners who have been selected as the outstanding graduates representing each of the university’s eight schools and the Division of Graduate Studies and the Division of Student Affairs.

The Dean’s Medalists will lead the processional into Bulldog Stadium for their respective schools and the Division of Graduate Studies, and will receive special recognition from their deans during the proceedings.

During the ceremony, 37 graduating scholars who are completing their degrees with perfect 4.0 grade point averages, representing all A’s in their coursework, will be acknowledged.

Dr. Welty will also confer emeritus status on 23 retiring faculty members in recognition of their years of service to the university.

Guest seating for the program will be located on the east side of the stadium.

Parking will be provided on the fields surrounding the stadium and in the campus lots east of Cedar Avenue. Parking for stadium events is prohibited in the neighborhoods adjacent to the facility. Parking for handicapped persons will be provided in the lot south of the stadium. Access is from Bulldog Lane.

For more information, contact the Student Affairs Office at (559) 278-2541.

The ten 1999 Dean’s Medalists are:

• Emily Ann Wiggins of Lake Isabella — Agricultural Sciences and Technology

• Matthew Espinoza Watson of Fresno — Arts and Humanities

• Anita Lovejoy of Kingsburg — Business

• Randy M. Steiner of Coarsegold — Education and Human Development

• David Hieb of Fresno — Engineering and Computer Science

• Colby J. Linder of Fresno — Natural Sciences

• Maria H. Provencio of Squaw Valley — Health and Human Services

• Amadeu da Silva of Fresno — Social Sciences

• Christopher D. Stickley of Fresno — Division of Graduate Studies; and

• Say Cha of Fresno — Division of Student Affairs