RELEASED: May 24, 2009

DANVILLE, KY—Jerry Bruckheimer and his wife Linda Bruckheimer were the featured speakers at Centre College's 186th commencement ceremony held Sunday, May 24. Both received an honorary degree of humane letters from Centre during the ceremony.

"Jerry and I are big fans of Centre College, so we are very honored to be here on this beautiful Kentucky afternoon," said Linda Bruckheimer. Linda talked about her family's trek from Kentucky to Los Angeles, her journey back with her husband, and the preservation efforts she has embarked upon in Kentucky.

"I 'm always ready for another adventure," she said. "I still love what I do and that is the best gift of all. It is the guide to use in your own daily life."

Said Jerry Bruckheimer to the Class of 2009: "God has given everybody a gift, and your task is to find yours, develop it, and dream beyond your ability. Look to your past and preserve what’s most valuable for your future…just as the next generation will look to you for guidance."

Two hundred and sixty-nine seniors received degrees, and two will receive degrees in the summer. Valedictorian prizes were presented to Matthew Wyn Lewis and Lindsay Kathryn Maurer. Lewis, of Hopkinsville, Ky., received the George Winston Welsh Valedictorian Prize as the top male graduate. Maurer, of Florence, Ky., received the Gavin Easton Wiseman Valedictorian Prize as the top female graduate.

The graduation rate for the Class of 2009 is 81 percent. This is by far the highest graduation rate in Kentucky and more than twice the four-year rate for any of the states public institutions.

Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the most successful and honored film and television producers in entertainment history, having won numerous Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and Golden Globe awards.

A vocal, vital advocate for preservation, Linda Bruckheimer is on the Board of Trustees with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. To this end, Linda has completed restoration on several buildings in Bloomfield, Kentucky, and two homes, which have now been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Click here for more Commencement photos!

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.