JMU honors Dingledine family by naming 2008 commencement speaker
Posted on February 28, 2008
This May, graduates will welcome Thomas Dingledine, a veritable household name to students, as their graduation speaker.
Although not a graduate of James Madison University, Dingledine comes from a long legacy of service to JMU.
“The Dingledine family history with Harrisonburg and the university prior to the university coming here makes him a good fit,” said Bill Wilson, director of Madison Institutes, the office that coordinates commencement.
His family represents part of JMU’s storied history, as several members made lasting impacts on both the school and its surrounding community.
Dingledine’s great grandfather, William Dingledine, can be considered one of the founding fathers of JMU, as he was instrumental in persuading the Virginia General Assembly to build the State Normal and Industrial School for Women in Harrisonburg.
Raymond C. Dingledine, Thomas’ grandfather, served as a history professor, department head, Harrisonburg mayor and city councilman. His grandmother, Agnes Stribling Dingledine (’15), was president of the Normal School’s Student Government Association and served as a sorority housemother, earning the nickname “Mama Ding.”
“What the Dingledines have done since the beginning is important,” Wilson said. “That’s the possible logic behind choosing him, the historical connection over the past century.”
Thomas is also a major supporter of Madison, and has contributed financially in several different ways. Along with his family, he has helped establish two scholarships in memory of his grandparents.
Recently, Thomas and his wife Karyn supported the Madison Century capital campaign with a $2 million donation that established an endowed scholarship in their name. According to the JMU Commencement Web site, “the gift creates the university’s first privately funded, four-year scholarships.”
In the past, JMU has welcomed a wide variety of graduation speakers, ranging from accomplished alumni to more inspirational choices. The December 2007 speaker was Gaddi H. Vasquez, the U.S. representative to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organizations, and the May 2006 speaker was former Virginia governor and senator George Allen.
The process behind choosing the graduation speaker is meticulous and mainly stems from recommendations made by a student committee, which includes members from groups like the Student Government Association and University Program Board.
The group meets several times a year and considers a variety of names while brainstorming. According to Wilson, much of the choice is out of their hands due to factors beyond JMU’s control.
“A lot of it has to do with the availability of folks, who’s available and how they tie in to the appropriateness of the particular commencement,” Wilson said.
Some students seem excited about the choice, despite not being overly familiar with Dingledine beyond his last name.
“I only recognize his name because of the dorm, and even though there might be more recognized names, hopefully he just has something good to send us away with,” senior Audrey Stone said. “I would really just like to hear something original, positive and meaningful, from someone who knows JMU well.”
Others are more disappointed with the choice in light of the importance of the Centennial Celebration.
“I don’t believe that the choice of a person unknown to most of the student body is suitable for a graduation year of this importance in JMU history,” senior Andy Fry said. “I would have rather seen someone who either achieved great things through their JMU education or someone who has lead an inspiring public life that embodies the spirit of JMU.”
Despite Fry’s reservations, Stone believes that the only thing that matters is the message.
“If someone has something good to say, then it doesn’t really matter to me how big the name is,” Stone said. “I think it’s more important what the message will be.”
