Sports legend, politician, businessman, author and presidential candidate Bill Bradley has been selected as the Class of 2006 commencement speaker.

“I’m sincerely thrilled about the speaker — I believe he is one of the best choices in Ithaca College history,” said Eric Nagy, senior class president. “This is someone who truly made a name for himself in American history.”

Bradley has accomplished a multitude of feats in a variety of fields. He graduated from Princeton University and went on to become a Rhodes Scholar. But Bradley’s early fame came from his skill in basketball. He served as captain of the 1964 U.S. Olympic team, which brought home the gold medal. In 1967, he began a 10-year stint with the New York Knicks. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982, Bradley’s No. 24 jersey was retired two years later.

Bradley entered politics in 1978 with a successful bid for the New Jersey seat in the U.S. Senate. Remembered for his work in social justice and humanitarian issues, he remained in the Senate until 1997.

Bradley made a bid for the presidency in 2000, running against then Vice President Al Gore as a liberal alternative to be the Democratic Party’s candidate. Although he performed well in opinion polls, Bradley was not able to secure the nomination. Since leaving politics, Bradley has worked as a corporate consultant and investment banker with numerous organizations. He has also penned four best-selling books.

Nagy said the senior class executive board, along with senior class input, created a list of potential speakers and then submitted it to Brian McAree, vice president of Student Affairs and Campus Life. From there, the list was whittled down to who was available, who was financially viable and who accurately reflected the values of the institution.

McAree said he is pleased with the choice.

“I would call Bill Bradley a renaissance man — someone with the breadth of experiences and notable accomplishments,” McAree said. “I can think of no one better to address our senior class.”

Channon Lucas, senior class vice president, said many students should be able to identify emotionally with Bradley, who came into prominence in the years that many seniors first began to take interest in politics.

“Personally, I remember the 2000 campaign to be one of my earlier political memories,” Lucas said. “It is great to have someone who has upheld their civic responsibility and can instill more in students than ‘I graduated and I’m quasi-famous.’”

Commencement ceremonies will be May 14.