su-bboards
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a269  1744  23 Nov 85
AM-BRF--Gorbachev Petition,0135
Stanford Students Want Gorbachev Commencement Speech
    STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - Petitions signed by 500 Stanford University
students in the 1986 graduating class say they want Soviet Premier
Mikhail Gorbachev to deliver their commencement speech.
    The petitions delivered to the school president Friday represent
about a third of the members of the class. Petitions will be
circulated through Thanksgiving.
    Normal university procedures call for a list of recommended
commencement speakers to submitted by a nominating committee of
students, faculty and administrators to President Donald Kennedy in
early December.
    ''We talked to the Department of Protocol and Ceremony at the State
Department and got the logistics on sending a formal invitation,''
said Mark Fleischauer, one of the drive's organizers.
    A representative at the Soviet Embassy was ''quite excited about the
idea'' when contacted by students, Fleischauer added.
    
AP-NY-11-23-85 2043EST
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