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During commencement exercises last spring, Tom Vilsack ’72 and Christie Bell Vilsack K’72 watched their son, Jess, walk across the stage to receive his Hamilton diploma. Anyone who didn’t know them would never suspect that the tall, quietly confident "dad" is the governor of Iowa and "mom" the driving force behind the governor’s political career, as well as a pioneer in reshaping the role of the first lady of Iowa. The occasion brought back memories.

Sunny skies prevailed at Hamilton's 189th Commencement, where Iowa Governor and 1972 graduate Tom Vilsack shared a lesson about looking for the simple things in life. A total of 430 bachelor of arts degrees were awarded to members of the Class of 2001.

Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, a 1972 graduate of Hamilton College, will deliver the Commencement address at Hamilton on Sunday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m. In 1998 Vilsack became the first Democrat elected governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. Vilsack was recently featured in a TIME Magazine article that described his new plan to fight population drain in Iowa by luring immigrants to the state.