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North Central College will award honorary degree to Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel

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Longtime Naperville Mayor A. George Pradel will be awarded an honorary degree June 8 during North Central College’s 148th Commencement ceremony.

Naperville Memorial Day Parade 2013 (238)
Mayor George Pradel, center, joined fellow Marines during the 2013 Memorial Day observance in Central Park. During commencement exercises on June 8, North Central College will present Naperville’s mayor with an honorary doctor of laws degree.

The Commencement ceremony at 10AM Saturday, June 8, is expected to draw more than 5,000 parents, alumni and visitors to North Central College’s Residence Hall/Recreation Center, 440 S. Brainard St. Tickets are not required but seating is on a first-come, first-served basis so guests are encouraged to arrive early; doors open at 8:30AM for guest seating. The academic procession begins at 9:40AM.

Pradel will be awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree during the ceremony. Dr. Frannie Léautier, executive secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation, will deliver the Commencement address and be awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

Pradel was first elected mayor of Naperville in 1995 and re-elected four times since then, most recently in 2011, making him Naperville’s longest-serving mayor. A former Naperville police officer and lifelong Naperville resident, Pradel is known for his many public appearances, friendly demeanor and demonstrated enthusiasm for Naperville.

Pradel was born in 1937 in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood and his family moved to Naperville soon after. He earned an associate degree in police science from the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

He served as a U.S. Marine from 1956 to 1959 and in the Naperville Police Department for 29 years. He retired from the force as lieutenant on April 30, 1995, when he began serving as mayor. He has been involved in numerous community groups, including The Illinois Tollway Authority, Naperville Lions Club, Naperville Rotary Club, Naperville Kiwanis Club, Naperville Exchange Club, Police and Fire Pension Boards, DuPage County Police Association, DuPage Mayors and Managers Association, The Hundred Club of DuPage and North East Multi-Regional Training Board. Pradel was the founder of Safety Town and the Naperville Marines.

Pradel is depicted in the Naperville Century Walk public art sculpture “Officer Friendly,” located near Washington Junior High School, in honor of his work with schoolchildren during his years as a Naperville police officer. He also has portrayed Santa Claus for many years at numerous Naperville functions.

Pradel and his wife, Pat, have been married for more than 50 years, and they have two sons, George and Gary, and a daughter Carol.

For more information about Commencement activities, visit northcentralcollege.edu/commencement or contact the North Central College Office of Alumni Relations at 630-637-5200.

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North Central College
North Central Collegehttp://www.northcentralcollege.edu
North Central College provides students with the confidence, instruction and direction they need to exceed their personal best inside and outside of the classroom and throughout their careers. Founded in 1861 and located just 28 miles west of Chicago in the Historic District of Naperville, Ill. — named among the nation’s “Best Places to Live” by Money magazine — North Central is home to more than 2,800 students and offers 82 undergraduate majors, 67 additional undergraduate minors and concentrations, and 22 graduate degree and graduate certificate programs. Visit northcentralcollege.edu to discover why U.S. News & World Report has named North Central a “Best in the Midwest” school for 29 years in a row, and to learn more about the College’s state-of-the-art facilities and distinctive programs, particularly in the sciences and business.
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