Ted Turner to appear at MSU-Northern commencement

Montana State University-Northern is gearing up for a visit from media mogul, entrepreneur and Montana transplant Ted Turner in less than a month.

Turner will be this year's Northern commencement speaker at the Saturday, May 7, graduation ceremony.

Chancellor Frank Trocki announced Turner's speaking at the Havre Chamber of Commerce luncheon in January.

He has since said that the Turner has some ideas about what he wants to do for the speech, outside of usual commencement speech protocol.

According to Trocki, the stage from which he will speak will not support a podium, but a couple of chairs for Turner to sit down with KRTV reporter and former Havre resident Shannon Newth, for a more informal conversational interview.

The Havre Daily News will also have a chance to talk to the billionaire philanthropist, and wants to know what questions readers want answered.

Send questions either on Twitter, at twitter.com/havredaily, on facebook at facebook.com/havredailynews or in an email to [email protected].

The Havre Daily will post these questions to be voted on until the interview.

Turner's responses to the most popular questions will then be posted on the HDN website and YouTube page, at youtube.com/havredailynews.

The press release issued by Northern Thursday lists Turner's accomplishments: forming cable networks, like CNN and TBS, owning many Atlanta-based professional sports teams; his philanthropic work helping to curb weapons of mass destruction and environmental work, especially on his 113,000-acre ranch in southwestern Montana.

"Named Time Magazine's 1991 Man of the Year, Turner is a world-class yachtsman," the release said.

There are no tickets for the ceremony, but seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, so hopeful attendees are encouraged to show up early and use the north-central entrance to the Northern gymnasium.