SALEM, Mass.— Jack Williams, a television news anchor and Emmy Award winning journalist, and Harry Spence, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, will be the commencement speakers at Salem State College's upcoming graduation ceremonies.

Williams will speak at the college's 193rd undergraduate commencement at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 17 in the O'Keefe Sports Complex. Spence will be the speaker during Salem State College's graduate commencement at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 15, also in the college's O'Keefe Sports Complex.

Both Williams and Spence will receive honorary degrees from the college.

A television journalist since 1968, Williams has received numerous awards both in and outside of his field. He was honored at the White House twice, once by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 and again by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

His weekly series "Wednesday's Child" has helped 460 special needs children find homes. In addition, Williams has helped raise $2.7 million for the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange.

Spence, the former Deputy Chancellor of Operations in the New York City public schools, is working to revise the child welfare system in Massachusetts to bring in a family-centered practice.

A lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Spence is a former receiver of the Boston Housing Authority, and former executive director of the Cambridge Housing Authority.

The college expects to award 360 graduate degrees on May 15 and 860 undergraduate degrees on May 17.

More information regarding Commencement.