Bill Cosby named keynote speaker for Hampton University graduation
The Daily Press
March 23, 2011
Bill Cosby is the keynote speaker for Hampton University's graduation ceremony this spring, HU announced Monday.
This is not Cosby's first time addressing an HU graduation class. The TV star, comedian and author was the keynote speaker in 2003.
According to thedailybeast.com, Cosby has given 37 graduation speeches so far. It lists him as the No. 1 graduation speaker in terms of the number he's given, followed by figures including former President Bill Clinton, Tom Brokaw, Madeline Albright and Maya Angelou.
Cosby's career began in the 1960s, when his stand-up act was a coast-to-coast sensation, spawning a string of best-selling comedy albums that awards including five Grammys.
His role on TV's "I Spy" made him the first black person to co-star in a dramatic series, breaking television's racial barrier and winning three Emmy Awards. In the 1980s, Cosby starred in The Cosby Show, the hugely successful series that revived the family sitcom.