Ambassador Foglietta to be graduation speaker

by Cynthia Taura copy editor phia, Pa. He will be given an honorary Doctorate of Laws during the ceremony.

Thomas M. Foglietta, U.S. ambassador to Italy, will be the graduation speaker for the class of 2000's exercises. A written announcement was placed in students' mailboxes last week.

The student government association was given a list of potential speakers to address the graduates. After a process of elimination, President Iadarola made the final decision.

Ambassador Foglietta was born and raised in Philadel-

Foglietta's speech will be given at a time when 95 Cabrinian institutions from across the world are preparing to celebrate the birth of St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, who is the founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Rome, Italy. Also, at the same time, it is the 50th anniversary of the bestowing of the title Patroness of Immigrants upon the Saint.

Foglietta, known as U.S. Congressman Foglietta, was nominated by President Clinton in 1997 to be Ambassador to Italy. He arrived in Italy in November of that year to assume his duties as Ambassador.

In 1980, Foglietta was elected to Congress as an independent, but became a Democrat in 1981. While in Congress, he was the founding chairman of the Urban Caucus in 1991. He has also been involved in issues that have to do with urban transportation, African Americans, women, world hunger, human rights and fine arts.

Foglietta is a graduate of St. Joseph University's class of 1949. He also attended Temple University, where he earned a degree in law in 1952.