Celtics Legend Bill Russell to Deliver Commencement Address

Bill Russell	New England Tech graduates will receive more than diplomas in recognition of their academic achievements on May 4, 2003. They'll also receive a final lesson. Boston Celtics legend, Bill Russell, will share his winning strategy for life and offer pointers on success.     Russell is considered one of the greatest professional basketball players of all time. He is a twelve-time NBA All-Star and won 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in 13 seasons. This defensive center is credited with revolutionizing the game of basketball with his shot-blocking skills and defensive play.
Along with his teammates he turned the Boston Celtics into a powerful dynasty that overwhelmed opponents both defensively and offensively in the 1960's. The lessons he learned about winning, pride and the power of being part of a championship team have defined his life.    He urges New England Tech graduates to have "optimistic curiosity" and says by pursuing education, they've already put themselves in a position to be successful. "Find something you can or want to do. Do it as well as you can, and be living your life while you're doing it," says Russell. "I've found that in athletics, the people that are most successful have a life. Their profession is just part of their life, not their total life."     Russell began playing basketball when he was nine years old. He helped his high school team to three championships, then led the University of San Francisco to a divisional championship and two NCAA championships, winning 55 straight games. The Boston Celtics recruited him in 1956, but had to wait until Russell finished leading the U.S. to a gold medal in the Olympics. He proved worth the wait. In 1957 Russell helped the Celtics win their first NBA title. He then helped the Celts build a reputation as one of the dominant teams in NBA history; able to outrun, out-rebound and out-pass any opponent.    Champion is the word most often used to describe Russell, and he played like one from his rookie season to his last game in his last championship series. During his 21 years of playing ball he set records that remain unbroken. To this day he holds the NBA single-game record for most rebounds in a half (32) vs. Philadelphia on Nov. 16, 1957. He remains the Celtics all-time leading rebounder with 21,620 rebounds in 963 games.    It was brainpower as much as agility that put Russell in the spotlight. Never a muscleman, the slender center's game was as much analytical as it was athletic. His rebounding success came from anticipating where the shot would come off the rim, and quickly moving to the ball. Definitely a team leader, Russell didn't play the game like a hot-shot superstar. He prided himself on being a team player, working to help teammates do their best so that he could do his best. He's credited the Celtics success to the ability of individual players to both assert themselves and subordinate their individual goals to advance as a team.    Russell believed in fair play on and off the court. Although it was not a role he sought, he became a champion of civil rights. In the early 60's he led African-American players on a boycott of a Celtics exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky after they were refused service in a hotel dining room. When African-American team members were mistreated at a late-night restaurant in Marion, Indiana, the entire team paid a call to the mayor, returning the keys to the city they'd been given a few hours earlier. Throughout his career, he's been an advocate for civil rights, equality and diversity.    Following five Most Valuable Player awards and an award-studded basketball career, Russell became the first African-American in the U.S. to coach a professional sports team, succeeding Red Auerbach as coach of the Celtics. He went on to become coach and general manager of the Seattle Supersonics, leading them to their first ever playoff berth. In 1975 he was the first African-American elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Russell continues to live his life as a leader, offering a hand up to those who need help or inspiration. He works with the National Mentoring Partnership, has authored best selling books about leadership, and is a sought-after motivational speaker.    On May 4, 2003, Bill Russell will deliver the commencement address to more than 800 New England Institute of Technology graduates. Russell will also receive an honorary doctor of humane letters in recognition of his lifetime achievements.
U.S. Senator Lincoln Chafee To Be Honored At Commencement New England Institute of Technology will present an honorary degree to United States Senator Lincoln Chafee at this year's commencement ceremony. Chafee served as Mayor of Warwick from 1992 to 1999. He took a giant step from Warwick City Hall to the United States Capitol when he was appointed by the Governor of Rhode Island to fill the unexpired term of his father, the late Senator John H. Chafee. In 2000 he was elected to a six-year term.
While most Senate newcomers spend their first term working to gain some degree of influence, Lincoln Chafee, a moderate Republican, finds himself in a pivotal role. He joined a Senate closely divided between Democrats and Republicans. Because the majority of those Republicans vote conservatively, Chafee's moderate votes have gained national attention for their potential to influence the outcome of key legislation.    "Lincoln Chafee typifies Rhode Island's image of the independent man," said Richard Gouse, president of New England Institute of Technology. "He has distinguished himself by voting his conscience and putting independent thought ahead of personal and party interests.    Chafee has voiced opposition to President Bush's tax cuts, drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the unilateral use of U.S. force in Iraq.    "It's important to be a good listener and to judge the testimony as to its effect on us as a nation, and in the state of Rhode Island and in the world and to try and strike compromises," says Chafee. As Mayor of Warwick, he was the first Republican elected in 32 years and there was broad speculation he wouldn't survive re-election. Chafee worked hard to earn the trust of the mostly Democratic City Council, city employees and Warwick residents. He was re-elected to three additional terms. He is credited with bringing a renewed sense of optimism to the city of Warwick and creating an atmosphere of cooperation among city workers. He was instrumental in resolving a difficult teacher's strike, increasing school funding and creating an environmental plan to preserve open space in the city.    Chafee grew up in Warwick, attending both public and private schools. After earning a degree in Classics from Brown University in 1975, he traveled to Montana to attend horseshoeing school at Montana State University. He then went to work for a racetrack blacksmith, earning $70 a week while he learned the trade, and lived in humble dwellings called groom's quarters.   He started his own business and, for seven years, shoed horses at harness racetracks in the United States and Canada. He says he loved the independence of working for himself, traveling, and working with his hands. "If you have a skill you can go almost anywhere," says Chafee. "There's a great deal of excitement with that and freedom that comes with having a skill and a trade."    Chafee says because New England Tech graduates have learned highly marketable skills they, too, can go anywhere to ply their trade. As they set out on new career paths he offers this bit of family wisdom: "I remember my grandfather saying if you're not breaking any bits you're not doing any drilling. I think that's good advice. Sometimes you're going to stumble and that's all part of moving forward."    In the early 1980's the lure of returning to Rhode Island, family and friends brought Chafee back to the Ocean State. He worked in manufacturing management for awhile but was drawn to the more independent lifestyle of politics. He was elected a delegate to the Rhode Island Constitutional Convention, served two terms on the Warwick City Council, and after one unsuccessful bid, became mayor. His father, the politician he most admires, provided inspiration. "He had a lot of success, but he also had some set backs," said Chafee. "To see him persevere was very, very inspiring. He kept his head up and never panicked and took the fates as they came. He showed a lot of courage and fortitude."    Senator Lincoln Chafee will receive an honorary doctor of philosophy during New England Tech's 62nd commencement ceremony.