Martin Luther King III will be the keynote speaker at Cornell University's Convocation in Schoellkopf Stadium at noon May 27, the day before Commencement, the Class of 2006 announced.

King is the second oldest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. A human rights advocate, community activist and political leader, he has been involved in policy initiatives to maintain fair and equitable treatment of people, at home and abroad.

King currently serves as CEO and president of the King Center, the official memorial dedicated to advancing his father's legacy. From 1998 to 2003, King served as the fourth president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the organization that his father co-founded in 1957.

From 1987 to 1993, King served as an elected commissioner of Fulton County, Ga., representing 700,000 residents. Since leaving public office, he has launched, among other civil rights and humanitarian initiatives, Americans United for Affirmative Action, a national coalition of organizations to prevent the dismantling of affirmative action initiatives across the country.

Convocation also will feature an address by Senior Class President Michael Zuckerman as well as the presentation of a gift to the university from the senior class. Cornell's Commencement Ceremony will take place May 28 in Schoellkopf Field, beginning at 11 a.m.

Admission to convocation will be open to the entire Cornell community on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets or IDs are required. Seating will be on the crescent side of the field. In the case of rain, the event will be moved back to Barton Hall.

Convocation is sponsored by the Class of 2006 Council. For more information, contact Jon Bellante, convocation chairman, at jdb62@cornell.edu.