Journalist, Author, Movie Producer Wil Haygood to Address Graduates at Ohio Wesleyan’s 2015 Commencement Ceremony
Wil Haygood
DELAWARE, Ohio – As a foreign correspondent, journalist Wil Haygood was taken hostage by Somali rebels in 1990 and rescued by Pakistani troops. Later that year, he was standing outside the South African prison housing Nelson Mandela when the anti-apartheid legend was released. Haygood covered Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the presidential campaign of then-Sen. Barack Obama in 2008.
While covering the presidential campaign, Haygood wrote a Page One article for The Washington Post that captured the nation’s imagination. “A Butler Well Served by this Election” told the story of White House butler Eugene Allen, who worked for eight presidential administrations from 1952 to 1986.
Haygood’s article inspired the 2013 film, “The Butler,” directed by Academy Award-nominated director Lee Daniels and featuring Oscar-winners Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey (honorary Oscar), Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Robin Williams, and Cuba Gooding Jr. Haygood served as the film’s associate producer and authored the accompanying book.
After building his career telling the tales of others, Haygood will tell his own story May 10 when he delivers the keynote address at Ohio Wesleyan University’s 171st commencement ceremony. The event will begin at 1 p.m. in Phillips Glen outside Merrick Hall, 65 S. Sandusky St., Delaware.
During the ceremony, Ohio Wesleyan will award Haygood an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree in recognition of his many scholarly and personal achievements. The full commencement ceremony, including Haygood’s remarks, will be streamed live online at https://www.owu.edu/about/follow-owu/stream-owu/.
Elizabeth Tierney Fisher, president of the OWU Class of 2015, said she is excited to hear Haygood discuss his life and share advice with the Ohio Wesleyan graduates.
“Mr. Haygood has had an extremely interesting life,” said Fisher, a music major from West Chester, Ohio. “I hope that he will be able to impart some of the wisdom he has gathered from his diverse experiences on the Class of 2015. I am personally very excited to have him address the class, and I know that many of the graduating seniors feel the same.” After earning her OWU undergraduate degree, Fisher will pursue a master’s degree in music history this fall at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
Haygood, a native of Columbus, Ohio, was the first in his family to attend college. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio, where he currently is completing a three-year faculty appointment. A Pulitzer Prize-finalist for his work as a journalist, Haygood also has written critically acclaimed biographies of prominent African Americans including Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr., entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., and boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.
Haygood’s next book, “Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination that Changed America,” will be released in October 2015. Marshall, the first African American judge appointed to the Supreme Court, was the attorney for the plaintiffs in the landmark 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.
Learn more about Haygood and his writings at knopfdoubleday.com. Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s 2015 commencement ceremony at https://www.owu.edu/academics/commencement/.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 86 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,750 students represent 46 U.S. states and territories and 43 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.