RIT Welcomes Hawaiian Senator As 2005 Commencement Speaker

Feb. 7, 2005
by Vienna Carvalho
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Follow RITNEWS on Twitter Sen. Daniel Inouye from Hawaii, the third most senior member of the U.S. Senate, will address Rochester Institute of Technology graduates and the RIT community as the 2005 Commencement speaker 4 p.m., Friday, May 20, in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center.

Inouye, first elected to the Senate in 1962, is now serving his seventh consecutive term. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, he was elected as its first congressman and re-elected to a full term in 1960.

The son of Japanese immigrants, he was born and raised in Honolulu. Inouye, a World War II combat veteran who earned the Medal of Honor, is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. He has focused on defense matters that strengthen national security and enhance the quality of life for military personnel and their families. Inouye has also championed the interests of Hawaii's people throughout his career. He was instrumental in engineering the restoration and return of Kahoolawe, an island that had been used for target practice by the U.S. military, to Hawaii. He continues to press for the passage of legislation that would establish a process by which Hawaii's indigenous people would be able to form their own sovereign government. Inouye also continues to push for improved education and healthcare for all children, additional jobs for Hawaii's economy, health and human services in rural communities, affordable housing and the protection of the nation's natural resources.

As a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Inouye has been able to address important issues, such as aviation and maritime transportation, which are crucial for Hawaii.

After losing his right arm in combat in World War II, Inouye was honorably discharged and returned home with a Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second highest award for military valor, along with a Bronze Star, Purple Heart with cluster, and 12 other medals and citations. His Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor and presented to him by President Clinton in 2000.

MEDIA NOTE: To cover Sen. Inouye's 2005 Commencement address, call 475-4952.

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