American television icon, Jerry Mathers, better known as The Beaver from the late-50s\/early-60s television series \u201cLeave It To Beaver,\u201d will be the speaker for Indiana Tech\u2019s commencement at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, May 14, at 10:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
Mathers entered the hearts and homes of America in 1957 as Theodore \u201cBeaver\u201d Cleaver. An immediate success, the show gained national attention and ran for six seasons, totaling 234 episodes. In addition to his noted works as a television actor, Mr. Mathers achieved great success on the big screen and on stage. In fact, he made his Broadway debut in 2007 as Wilbur Turnblad in the Tony-winning musical \u201cHairspray\u201d at the Neil Simon Theater.<\/p>\n
In the mid-1990s, Mr. Mathers was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. He took preventive action, lost 55 pounds and is currently one of the leading lecturers on living with and dealing with diabetes. He has been invited to share his experience with diabetes on \u201cLarry King Live\u201d numerous times and has spoken to the congressional caucus on diabetes at the Capitol. Jerry also speaks with the media to alert individuals about the importance of early diagnosis, diet and exercise and the proper treatment of diabetes.<\/p>\n
In 2009 and 2010, Jerry was the national spokesperson for PhRMA and their Partnership for Prescription Assistance program. This organization helps uninsured and financially struggling patients obtain prescription medicines for free or at a lower cost. The program is a nationwide effort, sponsored by America\u2019s pharmaceutical research and manufacturing companies to raise awareness of patient assistance programs and address the rising rates of chronic disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndiana Tech is pleased to have television icon and worldwide champion for those with diabetes, Jerry Mathers, join us as this year\u2019s commencement speaker,\u201d said Indiana Tech President Arthur E. Snyder. \u201cWe look forward to having him join us on our university\u2019s biggest day of the year to share his inspirational message with our students.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-94742","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n