Ben and Jerry Selected as Commencement Speakers

Just as they are linked together in the name of their ice cream company, Ben and Jerry will stand together to deliver the main address at Ithaca College's 2003 Commencement. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who have become known as much for running a socially responsible corporation as for their dairy treats, have accepted an invitation to address the College's graduates and guests at the May 18 ceremony.

"Since I was beginning my higher education career in Vermont at about the same time Ben and Jerry's was being launched, I count myself among their earliest customers," says President Peggy R. Williams. "This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from two men who have distinguished themselves not only for their success as entrepreneurs but also for their social consciousness. At a time when the misdeeds of corporate executives have dominated the headlines, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield demonstrate that it is possible for businesspeople to both do well and do good."

In 1978 the pair took a bit of research and a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making and founded Ben and Jerry's Homemade in a converted gas station in Burlington, Vermont. They soon became popular for their innovative flavors --- including Cherry Garcia, Rainforest Crunch, and Phish Food --- made from fresh Vermont milk and cream. While Ben and Jerry's grew into a multimillion-dollar business, it also developed a mission statement linking the company's prosperity to actively working to improve the quality of life on the local, national, and international levels.

"We are really excited about being able to present these two speakers," says senior class president Maureen Devine '03. "They have something that will interest everyone: They built a successful business from the ground up, they have been consistently concerned about the environment, and they have always been generous towards charities and good causes. Best of all, everyone loves ice cream!"

The company gives away over $1.1 million annually, much of it through the Ben and Jerry's Foundation, which is managed by a nine-member employee board and considers proposals relating to social, economic, and environmental justice issues.

Among other honors, Ben and Jerry have been named U.S. small businesspersons of the year, James Beard humanitarians of the year, and community peacemakers of the year. In 1998 they provided an inside look at the secrets of their success in their book Ben & Jerry's Double-Dip: How to Run a Values-Led Business and Make Money, Too.