Senator Richard Burr to deliver address at WFU Founders’ Day Convocation
Sen. Richard Burr, a graduate of Wake Forest University, will deliver the Founders’ Day Convocation address at Wake Forest at 11 a.m. Feb. 21 in the university’s Wait Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.
Sen. Richard Burr
Burr began his career in public office in 1994 when he became the first Republican in 20 years to represent the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served a total of five terms in the House, during which he became vice chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a leading voice on health care and energy issues. In the months leading up to and following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Burr served on the House Select Committee on Intelligence.
In 2004, Burr was elected to the U.S. Senate. He serves on numerous Senate committees, including the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs; and the Committee on Indian Affairs. He is also chairman of the Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness.
Last July, Burr received the Golden Gavel Award from Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist for being the first senator in the 109th Congress to preside over the Senate for 100 hours of debate, setting a new record for completing the service — required of all freshman senators — earlier than anyone in Senate history.
Burr, a resident of Winston-Salem since 1963, graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in 1974. He graduated from Wake Forest in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communication. While a student at Wake Forest, Burr was on the football team and a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Founders’ Day Convocation is held annually in February and is dedicated to honoring the university’s early founders, including President Samuel Wait. The Medallion of Merit, the university’s highest award for service, is presented during the ceremony.
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