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Top 25 of 2013: John Peters bids farewell

December 24, 2013
Peters shakes hands with Grace Reynolds after she received her diploma May 11, 2013.

Peters shakes hands with Grace Reynolds after she received her diploma May 11, 2013.

As 2013 draws to a close, NIU Today offers a look back at 25 of the top stories from the year.

No. 7

One president. Thirteen years. Seventy-two thousand degrees conferred. This is the legacy of former NIU President John G. Peters.

In May, Peters presided over commencement activities for the last time.

By the end of the four ceremonies, Peters had shaken hands and congratulated more than 3,000 graduate and undergraduate students.

“To me, nothing says how important the work that we do really is than what happens at commencement. Think of the sum total of individual efforts that go into producing a graduate,” Peter said. “There’s just something fantastic about these thousands of young people who march across that stage with their parents and families in attendance – that’s a special moment.”

In June, the Board of Trustees bestowed upon Peters the status as president emeritus.