TV Producer Lou Reda to Address Centenary College Graduates

As 415 students sit anxiously awaiting receipt of their diplomas Saturday, television producer Lou Reda will present the keynote speech at Centenary College's 138th commencement ceremony.

During the ceremony, which will begin at 1 p.m. on the front lawn of Smith Hall, a total of 415 undergraduate and graduate students from the college's Hackettstown, Parsippany and Edison campuses and centers will graduate.

Reda is most well-known for military-themed television programs and miniseries, such as the 1982 CBS series "The Blue and the Gray," and most recently "WWII," narrated by Gary Sinise, and "Vietnam," narrated by Michael C. Hall for the History Channel.

Reda has also managed well-known singers, such as Chubby Checker, Johnny Desmond and the Amazing Kreskin. His production company continues to grow in its Easton, Pa., and New York City offices.

Reda will be one of three recipients of honorary doctorate degrees in Humane Letters during the college's commencement ceremony. Ruth E. Grauert and Norman Worth will also be recipients on Saturday.

Grauert, a 1935 Centenary graduate, is a choreographer, lighting designer and lecturer who has worked at several staging companies and directed dance performances. She directed the Compagnie de la Danse Contemporaine d’Angers in France and has written many articles on stage lighting. She was a 2005 Martha Hill Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

Worth is co-owner of local radio station WRNJ 104.7 FM and has been commited to local organizations and causes for the past 30 years. The station features a regular "Inside Centenary" segment and Worth serves on the college's board of trustees. He also serves on the Boards of Fulton Bank of New Jersey; Hackettstown Regional Medical Center; Centenary College Enactus and is a Hackettstown Rotary Club member. He is a past recipient of the ARC of Warren County Humanitarian Award; Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Warren County Leadership Award; Warren County Hall of Fame honors and a Centenary College Gold Dome Award. 

“I am pleased to recognize our three honorary degree recipients in this manner,” Dr. Barbara-Jayne Lewthwaite, Centenary College president, said. “Commencement is a day of celebration in recognition of the hard work and dedication of the graduates. I wish them the best as they continue their professional or academic journey.”