The presidential nominee for chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, William Adams, will speak at the De Anza College commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 28 at the football stadium.

Adams’ nomination still needs to be confirmed by Congress.

Adams is a dedicated advocate of liberal arts and supports the idea of funding higher education for the middle class to make it accessible for all students. He recently finished serving 14 years as the president of Colby College, a small liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine.

“Dr. Adams is a nationally respected figure in higher education with a focus on issues central to De Anza College, including civic engagement and access to higher education for all students,” said Marisa Spatafore, director of marketing and communications.

He supported various nonprofit organizations and published works in the fields of philosophy, culture, personal memoir and higher education.

Over the course of his career, Adams said he has gained significant skills and qualifications that have become important to him and he wants to share his values with the graduating students.

“I found three things particularly important and useful,” he said. “A very strong work ethic, the ability to communicate forcefully, and the capacity to work well with other people.”

Adams said he started working in university administrative work by chance.

“While I was teaching at Stanford, a person I worked with and who had just been appointed president of Wesleyan University, asked me if I would accompany him to the university as his executive assistant,” he said. “I have been in college administration ever since.”

Brian Murphy, De Anza College president, chose Adams as the keynote speaker in consultation with the senior staff, said Spatafore.

“He was our first choice,” she said.

Prior to his presidential duties, Adams taught political philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Santa Clara University.

He also worked at Stanford University as an instructor and program coordinator for the “Great Works in Western Culture” program.

He graduated magna cum laude from Colorado College in 1972 in liberal arts and earned a Ph.D. in political philosophy at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

From 1995 to 2000, Adams served as president at Bucknell University, Pennsylvania.

Before that, he was vice president and secretary at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

Adams plans to retire from Colby College on June 30 after 14 years as president.

“We’re looking forward to hearing him speak to our graduates as they take the next step in their lives,” Spatafore said.

Adams is taking the next step as he transitions into retirement from Colby College and on to the next chapter in his life.