Former Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Tennessee and country humorist L.H. “Cotton” Ivy will deliver the keynote address at the University of Tennessee at Martin's fall commencement at 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15 in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center. About 360 degrees are expected to be awarded.

Now retired as Tennessee's Commissioner of Agricul-ture, a position he held for seven years, Ivy is one of America's legendary comedians.

The Decatur County, Tenn., native is a Grammy-nominated professional entertainer who has written numerous publications, columns and lessons for universities across the United States and has spoken in churches and universities in almost every state. He served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1985 1988.

Ivy has served as president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture, member of the board of directors for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, president of the Southern United States Trade Association, and a member of the board of trustees for the University of Tennessee.

He is the recipient of the National 4-H Club Alumni Award and Gamma Sigma Delta's 1990 Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award, and has received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree from Gulf Coasts Seminary, Panama City, Fla., and an Honorary American Future Farmers of America (FFA) Degree. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Ivy earned his bachelor's degree in Agriculture education from the University of Tennessee.

UTM Chancellor Dr. Nick Dunagan will preside over the exercises and confer the degrees. Alumni Distin-guished Service Professor Kay A. Durden, professor of computer science and information systems, will be the mace bearer, and the processional marshals will be Faculty Senate Vice President Susan Vickerstaff, Faculty Senate Past President Edward Wheeler, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Al Hooten, and Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Len Hoffman.

A reception will immediately follow commencement ceremonies in the Duncan Ballroom in the Ed and Carolyn Boling University Center.