Richard Riley and Norman Jewison to address RIT

Richard Riley

Norman Jewison

The Christian Science Monitor says that many Americans regard Richard Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education, as "one of the great statesmen of education in this century." When he was governor of South Carolina, Riley was so popular that the people amended their constitution to enable him to run for a second term.

Wherever he goes, Riley wins respect for his integrity, principled leadership, commitment to children and passion for education. During the secretary's State of American Education Address on Feb. 22, he stated that a quality education for every child is a "new civil right"for the 21st century. He added, "A strong focus on access to college, success in staying in college and paying for college will always be important issues in American higher education in the coming decade."

Riley had this to say about teachers: "Unlike some in politics, I do not get a kick out of bashing teachers. To the contrary, I consider quality teachers among the real patriots of our beloved country in this Education Era."

President Clinton chose Riley to be secretary in December 1992 after Riley won national recognition for his highly successful effort to improve education in South Carolina.

During the president's first term, Riley helped launch historic initiatives to raise academic standards, improve instruction for the poor and disadvantaged, expand grants and loan programs to help more Americans go to college, prepare young people for the world of work, and improve teaching. He also helped to create the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, which today includes over 4,000 groups.

Riley gets things done by reaching out to all citizens. He prefers partnership to partisanship. His quiet, self-effacing style "can drive impatient, assertive young Washington movers and shakers crazy," the National Journal has written. "He doesn't grab headlines or clamor for credit. But, inevitably, Riley reaches his goal."

His efforts were so successful that Clinton asked him to stay during his second term to lead the president's national crusade for excellence in education. Riley and Clinton agree that education must be America's number one priority in the years ahead.

Already in the second term, Riley has helped win a historic ruling by the Federal Communications Commission to give schools and libraries deep discounts for Internet access and telecommunications services, and helped secure major improvements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The secretary's goals now include helping all children master the basics of reading and math, making schools safer, and reducing class sizes in first through third grades by helping states and schools to hire 100,000 more good teachers. He is working to modernize and build new schools to meet record-breaking student enrollments, to expand after-school programs and to help students learn to use computers.

Riley also is working hard for Clinton's historic higher education package that would help needy and middle-income families afford the cost of college and provide lifelong learning opportunities to Americans of all ages.

His many honors include the Award for Advocacy of Independent Higher Education, National Council of Educational Opportunity Association Lifetime Service Award, Friend of Education Award from the National Education Association, and the Child Advocacy Award from the National Parent Teacher Association.

Riley, born in Greenville County, S.C., graduated from Furman University in 1954 and served as an officer on a U. S. Navy minesweeper. In 1959, he received his law degree from the University of South Carolina. He was a state representative and state senator from 1963 through 1977 and was elected governor in 1978 and reelected in 1982. Riley and his wife, Ann, have four children and 11 grandchildren.

Norman Jewison, a vibrant force in the motion picture industry for 30 years, is one of Hollywood's most accomplished and highly regarded directors. Jewison, whose latest film was 1999's The Hurricane,starring Denzel Washington, has received four Oscar nominations, and his films have earned 45 nominations and 12 Academy Awards. He has also been nominated for three best director awards by the Directors Guild of America and has received international honors as well.

In 1999, Jewison won the Irving Thalberg Award, the prestigious lifetime achievement award that has been bestowed upon such film-making greats as Billy Wilder, Alfred Hitchcock, Ingmar Bergman, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

Jewison, born in Toronto, graduated from the University of Toronto in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in general arts. While driving a cab for a living, he found occasional work as an actor both on stage and in radio for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. After a two-year work/study program with the British Broadcasting Corp. in London, Jewison returned to Canada and wrote, produced and directed some of Canada's most popular dramas, musicals and comedy-variety shows for seven years with the CBC.

In 1958 he accepted an invitation from CBS in New York City to direct the popular television music show Your Hit Parade and others, including The Andy Williams Show, and the award-winning Judy Garland specials. Along the way he collected three Emmy Awards.

Four years later Jewison was ready to direct his first feature film, 40 Pounds of Trouble, starring Tony Curtis and Suzanne Pleshette. He then co-wrote and directed The Cincinnati Kid, starring Steve McQueen. They would work again three years later on The Thomas Crown Affair.

In 1966 Jewison added the title of producer to his film credits. The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! received an Academy Award nomination for best picture.

The next year he produced and directed In The Heat of the Night, starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, who won best actor. The film won best picture and a total of five Academy Awards.

Jewison then directed Fiddler on the Roof, nominated for best picture, Jesus Christ, Superstar, Rollerball, F.I.S.T. and . . . And Justice for All, starring Al Pacino.
In 1984, he directed and co-produced A Soldier's Story, which was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture. Jewison also directed Agnes of God, the first feature he filmed in his native country. The film received three Oscar nominations, including best supporting actress nominations for Meg Tilly and Anne Bancroft.

In 1987, Jewison's Moonstruck became another multiple Oscar-winner, with Cher winning best actress and Olympia Dukakis for best supporting actress.

In 1989, he directed Bruce Willis in In Country and also Other People's Money, starring Danny DeVito, his 25th film in 28 years.

More recently he directed Only You and Bogus.

Jewison was made a companion of the Order of Canada, that country's highest civilian decoration, in 1982. In 1986, he established the Canadian Film Centre, akin to the American Film Institute in the United States. The centre recently honored him with its inaugural lifetime achievement award. Another recent honor was the George Eastman Kodak Award from the National Association of Theater.