SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) _ The University of Notre Dame says the chairman of an anti-crime collaborative group in Boston will give the May 18 commencement address, replacing the chancellor of the University of Oxford.
The university says the Rev. Ray Hammond will replace Christopher Patten, who is withdrawing from several engagements for health reasons. Hammond is the founder of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Boston.
Hammond already was scheduled to receive an honorary degree from Notre Dame. He is the former chairman of the Boston Foundation and founder and chairman of the Ten Point Coalition, which helped create a nationally recognized model for fighting juvenile crime by establishing close bonds between religious, police and community leaders.
Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins called Hammond's work an inspiration.
