Noel, Vince Wilfork to receive honorary degrees at NEIT commencement

Posted 4/9/15

Vince Wilfork, former New England Patriots defensive captain and lineman and former Governor Philip W. Noel will receive honorary degrees at the Sunday, May 3 New England Institute of Technology …

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Noel, Vince Wilfork to receive honorary degrees at NEIT commencement

Posted

Vince Wilfork, former New England Patriots defensive captain and lineman and former Governor Philip W. Noel will receive honorary degrees at the Sunday, May 3 New England Institute of Technology commencement ceremonies at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Wilfork who won bookend Super Bowls in his first and last year with the Patriots, will deliver the commencement address and help to mark the college’s 75th anniversary. Commencement ceremonies begin at 11 a.m.

Wilfork was drafted by the Patriots in 2004 and became a leader on the team and one of the NFL’s best defensive tackles. He registered 516 combined tackles and 16 sacks during his 11 years with the Pats and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl five times. After becoming a free agent at the end of the season, Wilfork recently signed to play with the Houston Texans for a contract worth a reported $9 million.

“This has been an interesting process for me and my family, one we have taken very seriously and given a lot of thought,” Wilfork said. “We will forever be Patriots in our hearts.”

At 6-foot-2 and 325-pounds, Wilfork is an imposing player on the field. Off the field he has tackled issues close to his heart. He has raised $1.5 million to help fund diabetes research, education and care in memory of his father, who died from complications of diabetes. He and his wife Bianca sponsored a wing at the Mattapan Community Health Center and they raise money for the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston and the Diabetes Research Institute in Florida. They have also worked to help disadvantaged children and families in Massachusetts and in Florida where both Wilfork and his wife grew up. In recognition of his work to improve the lives of others, Vince Wilfork will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters during commencement.

Former Rhode Island Governor Philip Noel helped to shape the economic landscape of Warwick and of the State of Rhode Island, creating institutions and policies that continue to have a positive and vital influence in the state. He was raised in Warwick and began his working life as a commercial fisherman and union laborer. An excellent student athlete, he went through Brown University on a football scholarship, worked his way through law school, and went on to become a Warwick City Councilman, Mayor, Governor of Rhode Island and a successful lawyer and businessman.

Noel introduced the legislation that created the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation, the Rhode Island Port Authority and the Department of Economic Development. He brought General Dynamics to Quonset Point to build the Trident submarine and was instrumental in developing the business park at Quonset Point, which is now a key employer in the state with nearly 200 companies employing 10-thousand Rhode Islanders. New England Tech trains workers for many of the companies that Philip Noel helped bring to Rhode Island.

Noel served as chairman of the Democratic Governor’s Conference and was selected by President Nixon to serve in a delegation of distinguished leaders as part of the initiative to begin the process of normalization of diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China. President Ford appointed him to the U.S. Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to study and recommend methods to promote efficiency and cooperation among all levels of government.

Noel has received many honors. He has been inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame, and the Kent County Courthouse has been renamed in his honor. He will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of his initiative in economic development and his work to improve the lives of Rhode Islanders.

This year marks New England Institute of Technology’s 75th anniversary. More than one thousand students will receive associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

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