The morning ceremony at 9:30 a.m. will feature Shinseki and honor candidates from the Colleges of Education, Health Sciences and Justice & Safety. The afternoon ceremony, at 2 p.m., will feature Kidd and recognize candidates from the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Business & Technology. Both ceremonies will be held in Alumni Coliseum and are open to the public.

The two ceremonies will recognize a total of 107 associate degree candidates, 828 bachelor’s degree candidates 265 master’s degree candidates and two doctoral degree candidates.

Born in Hawaii to an American family of Japanese ancestry, Shinseki rose to become the senior leader of the U.S. Army. He was appointed as the seventh U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 2009 after a distinguished 38-year military career that culminated with his service as Army Chief of Staff from 1999 to 2003.

A 1965 graduate of West Point, Shinseki served two combat tours in Vietnam, was badly wounded on each of those tours, and has been honored many times for excellence and valor as a soldier and leader of soldiers. In addition to his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy, Shinseki earned a master’s degree in English Literature from Duke University and returned to teach English at the Military Academy.

He will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from EKU.

Coach Kidd, a native of Corbin, was a standout football player during his student days at Eastern. He returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1964 and his teams went on to win 315 games, two I-AA national titles and 16 conference titles in 39 seasons, ranking him among the all-time greats of the football coaching profession.

He is a member of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, among many other honors. The EKU football stadium is named in his honor, and the campus street in front of the stadium is named Roy and Sue Kidd Way for the coach and his wife. Coach Kidd is also a member of EKU’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni.

Kidd will receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the University.

Speaking as representatives of their graduating class in the morning and afternoon ceremonies, respectively, will be Abigail Love, of Richmond, and Derek Todd, of Eubank.

Receptions for graduates and their families will be held in the Fred Darling Gymnasium in Alumni Coliseum immediately after each ceremony.