It took a little persuading to get him to accept, however.

"We had to work with him," Miller said. "It's just a matter of convincing someone how special that day is to us." Class Day speakers receive no stipends, only lodging and transportation costs, for their speeches.

Aaron spoke last week at Mather House. But that appearance was purely coincidental, Thompson said.

Aaron will be a cross-generational favorite, Minelli said.

"Not many of us remember him as a baseballplayer, but people of our parents' generation andeven our grandparents' generation respect andadmire what he did in his skills as a baseballplayer," Minelli said. "He transcendsgenerations."

Thompson emphasized said Aaron's heroism as aquality that especially struck the classcommittee.

"What most people were impressed with is theway he works for the recognition of equality forall people," Thompson said. He stands for "a lotof the ideals that our country stands for," shesaid.

And Miller summed up neatly the effect Aaronwill have on those who watch him speak.

"I think he'll touch a lot of bases in ourclass," Miller said. "I hope he'll be a hit.