FIRST HONORARY DEGREE AWARDED DURING 120TH ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE GRADUATION

300 students walk Municipal Auditorium stage as College confers 1,033 degrees and certificates

SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 16, 2008) --- St. Philip’s College conferred 1,033 degrees and certificates during its 120th Commencement Ceremony Dec. 12 at Municipal Auditorium.

While graduating students totaled almost 300 with 145 faculty members and more than 3,000 guests and family members in attendance, the historic ceremonial first for the 110-year-old College was the posthumous award of an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree to Rev. G. Richard Thayer, III (see sidebar).

The keynote speaker was Tino Duran, philanthropist and Publisher of La Prensa, a leading bilingual newspaper in South-Central Texas.

Student Speaker Cornelio Felipe Ontiveros Sr. also walked the stage with two of his sons Eliseo Perez, Jr. (left) and Cornelio Felipe Ontiveros, II. Ontiveros Sr. received a Certificate in Structural Pipe Layout and an Associate’s Degree in Welding Technology. He inspired both sons---Ontiveros II earned a Certificate in Structural Pipe Layout and Eliseo earned his degree in Collision Technology.

“My father and I have always connected. I got so inspired when I saw him welding when I visited him at school that I enrolled at St. Philip’s College, and here I am now,” Ontiveros II said.

“Education is never a waste,’ said Ontiveros Sr. “I plan to go to Texas State and get my teaching degree so I can help others and be there for them,” Ontiveros Sr. said. (SPC file image by Patrick Evans)

CAPTIONS (Images by Patrick Evans): Photo 1. St. Philip’s College conferred 1,033 degrees and certificates during its 120th Commencement Ceremony Dec. 12 at Municipal Auditorium. Graduating students at the St. Philip’s College 120th Commencement Ceremony Dec. 12 at Municipal Auditorium totaled almost 300 with 145 faculty and more than 3,000 family members in attendance. Photo 2. St. Philip’s College 120th Commencement student speaker Cornelio Felipe Ontiveros, Sr. (center) walked the stage Dec. 12 at Municipal Auditorium with sons Eliseo Perez, Jr. (left) and Cornelio Felipe Ontiveros, II (right). Ontiveros Sr. received a Certificate in Structural Pipe Layout and an Associate’s Degree in Welding Technology. He inspired two of his sons---Ontiveros II earned a Certificate in Structural Pipe Layout and Eliseo earned his degree in Collision Technology.

SIDEBAR (Image by Patrick Evans): ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE AWARDS FIRST HONORARY DEGREE St. Philip’s College President Dr. Adena Williams Loston led the posthumous awarding of an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree to Rev. G. Richard Thayer, III during a reception Dec. 12 at Municipal Auditorium. Accepting the degree for Rev. Thayer was his wife of 33 years, Ann Elisabeth Thayer. Attending the event were (from left) Alamo Community College District Chancellor Dr. Bruce R. Leslie, Dr. Loston, Ann Thayer and Alamo Community College Board of Trustees Chairman Denver McClendon. Richard Thayer revitalized relationships between St. Philip’s College and the St. Philip’s Episcopal Church that founded the College 110 years ago during his notable service as Interim Rector of St. Philip's Episcopal Church in San Antonio up to the time of his death in Feb. 2008. His legacy has been recognized with a scholarship endowed at St. Philip’s for students in the fields of Culinary Arts and Music.

Websites related to this story include:

1) St. Philip’s College; 2) La Prensa and 3) St. Philip's Episcopal Church

About St. Philip’s:St. Philip’s College was founded in 1898 by Bishop James Steptoe Johnston of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church of the West Texas Diocese. Today, St. Philip’s is a multi-campus institution of the Alamo Community Colleges and serves a semester enrollment of nearly 10,000 credit and more than 5,000 continuing education students. St. Philip’s is a Historically Black College and Hispanic Serving Institution and is the only college in the nation that carries this dual designation. As “A Point of Pride in the Community,” St. Philip’s is among the oldest and most diverse community colleges in the United States.