Pulice and Hammett to be Spring Commencement Speakers
About 400 students will participate in Spring Commencement for Fairmont State University. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the Feaster Center. A reception in the Falcon Center will immediately follow the ceremony.
Fairmont State alumnus Frank Pulice, Jr., philanthropist and community volunteer, will be the speaker. Zachary Samuel Hammett of Martinsburg will be the student speaker representing the graduating class.
Frank Pulice, Jr.
Frank Pulice, Jr. is a graduate of Monongah High School, the Greenbrier Cooking School and Fairmont State College. He currently serves as Development Director for the Fairmont General Hospital Foundation, Inc., a position he has held since 1993 when he retired as Director of Food Services for Fairmont State. He was inducted into the Fairmont State and Pierpont Community & Technical College Student Affairs Hall of Fame in 2009 and is a recipient of the Fairmont State Alumnus of Achievement award. Pulice is a charter member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and has been the chapter advisor for 26 years.
He has owned and managed the White Tower Restaurant and Town House Restaurant in Fairmont. He also worked at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Phoenix and the Elks Lodge and The Palace Restaurant in Fairmont. Pulice served on active duty in the military from 1952-1954 and was on active reserve duty from 1954-1960. He has numerous volunteer affiliations with his community, church, the Democratic Party and the restaurant industry. His volunteer affiliations include the following: American Legion Post #17; BPOE Elks #294; Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Club; Chiefton Reunion Association; City of Fairmont 2000 Committee; Friends to Save the 12th Street Municipal Pool; Friends of High Gate; Junior Chamber of Commerce; Korean War Vets; Marion County Chamber of Commerce; Monongah Alumni Association; Salvation Army; West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival Inc.; State Catastrophic Illness Board, appointed by Gov. Joe Manchin; Deanery Council of Catholic Men; Knights of Columbus; Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church; St. Peter’s Holy Name Society; Hulett Smith Committee for Governor of West Virginia; John F. Kennedy for President Committee; Marion County Young Democratic Club; National Committee Representative; Marion County Restaurant Association; State Association of Restaurants; and the State Restaurant Association.
Pulice has dedicated much of his life to his family and wife of 58 years, Katherine A. Pulice, who passed away in March of 2009. His family includes: daughter, Diane Pulice Burnside; son-in-law, Philip E. Burnside; grandson, Anthony Philip Burnside; and grandson, Jonathan Wade Burnside. All are graduates of Fairmont State. Additional family includes: granddaughter, Angie Alasky Burnside; great-granddaughter, Sophia Violete Burnside; and great-grandson, Luke Anthony Burnside.
Zachary Samuel Hammett
Zachary Samuel Hammett of Martinsburg is graduating from FSU with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and minors in National Security and Intelligence and Criminal Justice. While attending FSU, Hammett has worked in the Falcon Center for Director Robin Yeager and in the Ruth Ann Musick Library in the Audio/Visual department under the direction of Jeff Miller. Hammett has served as the Student Government representative on the FSU Board of Governors and is on the Self Study Steering Committee. He served on the search committee for the campus Chief of Police and has been a member of the rugby team. Hammett received the Frasure-Singleton Internship in Charleston, where he worked with Delegate Tiffany Lawrence for a week during the legislative session.
Handicapped parking will be available on May 14, and parking attendants from the Department of Public Safety will be on hand to direct traffic. The Feaster Center parking lot located directly across Squibb Wilson Boulevard from the Duvall-Rosier Field parking lot will be used for handicapped parking. This lot allows guests to enter the Feaster Center directly onto the arena floor.
Seating will be available on the bottom rows of the arena for those with special needs. For more information, call the Office of Disability Services at (304) 367-4686 or the Department of Public Safety at (304) 367-4157. Sign language interpreting services will be provided during the ceremony.
Spring CommencementFrank Pulice Jr.Zachary Hammett
