Last month, Barnard College, the 123-year-old women’s college in New York City affiliated with Columbia University, announced that Jill Abramson, executive editor of The New York Times, would be its commencement speaker. But the White House called Barnard and said President Obama would like to give the commencement address. Barnard agreed and said Abramson had agreed to speak at the college in the future.
No one can blame Barnard College for agreeing to have the President of the United States as its commencement speaker. Almost all colleges and universities would like to have that honor.
In the past month, women’s health issues have taken center stage in the presidential campaign and the political theater of having the President speak at one of the nation’s most respected women’s college is no accident.
At the commencement ceremony, the college will present the President with the Barnard Medal of Distinction, the school’s highest honor. Barack Obama is a 1983 graduate of Columbia University.