Mayor Bloomberg selected to give Baccalaureate address

Bloomberg, a longtime Democrat who first ran for mayor as a Republican and was most recently elected as an independent, successfully campaigned to void the city’s two-term limit in order to seek a third term.

As mayor, he is known for taking an aggressive approach to public health regulations, banning smoking in all commercial establishments and trans fats from restaurants. In September, he proposed extending the smoking ban to public parks and beaches. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is named after Bloomberg, who received his bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins and has served as chairman of the university’s board of trustees.

Rosen said that, while the selection of politicians for such speeches sometimes draws scrutiny, he does not think that Bloomberg is a polarizing selection, given his record as mayor.

Before entering government, Bloomberg became a billionaire by founding Bloomberg L.P., a financial news company that provides specialized information tools for investors. He is the tenth richest person in the United States with a net worth of $18 billion in 2010.

He is also the father of Emma Bloomberg ’01. The Bloomberg family made a donation of an undisclosed amount to the University to fund the construction of Bloomberg Hall, named in honor of Emma Bloomberg, which opened as an upperclass dormitory in 2004 and is now part of Butler College.

Bloomberg is “very excited to be here,” Rosen said. Those in the Class of 2011 also supported the selection.

“A few of my friends, I think, were hoping for Kagan, but I don’t have too strong of an opinion,” Ka Yee Lau ’11 said.

“It’s cool to hear him talk about starting his own business,” Miheer Mhatre ’11 said. “I think the committee did a great job in picking him.”

President Shirley Tilghman selected Bloomberg from a list of potential candidates nominated by Class of 2011 officers several months ago, Rosen said. He added that the class government sought “people who had a good message, people who would be good public speakers.”