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Mayor Brown Receives Honorary Degree, Alumnus Award

Mayor Receives Medaille Colleges Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree; Presented Buffalo State College’s Distinguished Alumnus Award

Mayor Byron W. Brown has been presented with two higher education honors during this year’s college and university commencement season in the City of Buffalo.

On May 10th, Mayor Brown was given Buffalo State College’s Distinguished Alumnus Award during the College’s 136th Commencement Ceremony.

Upon receiving the award, Mayor Brown stated, “I am honored today to receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award and I am very proud to accept it as an individual who benefited greatly from my academic experience at Buffalo State College.”

In 2002, Buffalo State College presented Mayor Brown (then a New York State Senator) with its Young Alumnus Achievement Award.

On May 16th, Mayor Brown delivered the Commencement Address at the 2008 Medaille College Commencement Ceremony at Kleinhans Music Hall. Prior to his speech, Mayor Brown was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from the College’s President, Richard T. Jurasek, Ph.D.

In his speech, Mayor Brown urged the graduating students to “…choose wisely and carefully; to look within yourself and realize what your strengths are and how those strengths can affect change – positive change – to help others and make your community, our country and our world better now and for future generations.”

Mayor Brown added, “The only way we can prosper as a society is if we commit to working together to make the lives of everyone around us better.”