BLACKSBURG, March 16, 1998 -- President Paul Torgersen has announced that Virginia Governor James Gilmore will be the 1998 Spring Commencement speaker. Virginia Tech's commencement exercises will begin at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 9, in Lane Stadium.

Gov. Gilmore continues a tradition dating back to 1967 where the sitting Virginia governor addresses Virginia Tech's graduating class.

"We are delighted that Governor Gilmore will speak to the Class of 1998. In his inauguration speech the governor promised exciting plans to bolster the commonwealth's growing technology industries. As the state's acknowledged information technology university, Virginia Tech is especially pleased to have the governor address our graduates," said Torgersen.

Gilmore was elected the 68^th governor of the commonwealth in November 1997. He served two terms as Commonwealth's Attorney for Henrico County prior to his election as Virginia Attorney General in 1993. A Virginia native, the governor received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia.

The event regularly draws about 4,500 graduates and 20,000-25,000 family members.