June 22, 2007

Bill Bradley, Orator

To the Editor:

Jay Parini writes that Bill Bradley, the former senator, was a "terrible" graduation speaker ("The Model Graduation Speaker," The Chronicle Review, May 25). However, I will never forget Bill Bradley's graduation speech at Nassau Community College in the early 1970s. After listening to a local politician excoriate the student protesters who were so prevalent at that time (although not at Nassau), Bradley put aside his prepared remarks and extemporaneously delivered a