Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Willis Whichard will give the commencement address during Peace's graduation ceremony on May 8.

Peace College's 138^th commencement will be held in front of the college's Main Building, beginning at 10 a.m. One hundred and nineteen students are candidates for bachelor's degrees.

Whichard is the only person in North Carolina history to have served in both houses of the General Assembly and on both the state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. He began his law career in 1966 as a clerk to Supreme Court Justice William Bobbitt. After practicing law in Durham for 14 years, Whichard was elected to the N.C. House of Representatives and then to the N.C. Senate. He was appointed to the N.C. Court of Appeals in 1980 and joined the N.C. Supreme Court in 1986, where he served for 12 years. He then served as dean of Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law until 2006. He now practices law.

Former Secretary of Cultural Resources Betty McCain will give the baccalaureate address the night before commencement at First Presbyterian Church. The service begins at 7:30 p.m. The church is located at the corner of Morgan and Salisbury streets.

"Both of these individuals are Tar Heel treasures, known far and wide, and beloved by all," said President Laura Carpenter Bingham '77. "I'm especially pleased to have this duo with us for your commencement and for my final commencement as your president."   

McCain of Wilson was the first woman to serve as chair of the N.C. Democratic Party and is a former Secretary of Cultural Resources. She is chair of the UNC-TV Board of Trustees and in October was presented with the state's highest civilian honor by Gov. Beverly Perdue, the North Carolina Award.

McCain also serves as chair of the Peace College Foundation Board. She is a graduate of St. Mary's College, UNC-Chapel Hill and Columbia University.