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September 8, 2006 > News > Doerr to speak at commencement

Doerr to speak at commencement

Billionaire alumnus funded Amazon.com, Google start-ups

By Perry Factor | Thresher Editorial Staff

Billionaire venture capitalist and Rice alumnus and donor John Doerr (Lovett ‘73) will speak at commencement in May.

Commencement Speaker Committee Chair Michael Orchard, who is also the Sid Richardson College master, said the committee chose Doerr because he is a Rice graduate and well-known entrepreneur. The committee wanted to choose a speaker with a particular interest in Rice graduates, Orchard said.

“[We didn’t want] a hired gun — someone with no affiliation or interest [in Rice] who would demand a huge fee, give a talk and get out,” Orchard said.

Doerr, who could not be reached for comment, met with students last week to discuss what they would like to hear in a commencement speech. Jones College President Patricia Mahoney, who was also on the committee, said she appreciated Doerr’s effort.

“[Doerr] wanted to see what student interest was and see what would leave a lasting mark on us,” Mahoney said. “It was a very nice gesture that he would come from California just to meet with students.”

Orchard said the committee — which included two graduate students and two seniors — developed a list of ideal criteria for a speaker, among which were a connection to Rice, a national reputation and a message that would resonate with students. The committee then created a list of about 10 potential speakers and unanimously selected Doerr as its first choice, Orchard said. Doerr — who spoke at the University of California Haas Business School commencement last year — accepted the offer Wednesday.

“I’m really excited that he’s coming and that the process of selecting him went well,” Mahoney said. “He cares a lot about Rice.”

Doerr has a net worth of about $1 billion and is the 346th-richest person in the United States, according to Forbes magazine’s 2005 rankings. In 2006, Forbes ranked him second on its Midas List, a list of the top high-tech and life sciences investors.

Doerr graduated from Rice with an electrical engineering degree and from Harvard Business School in 1974. That same year he joined Intel, which was then a start-up company.

In 1980, Doerr joined Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a California-based venture capital firm, where he still works today. Since then he has backed the start-ups of Amazon.com, Google, Intuit and Sun Microsystems, and he currently serves on the boards of directors of those companies. He also backed the launch of Netscape and Compaq.

In April, Doerr and his wife, Ann, donated $2.5 million to Rice to fund projects that apply computational science to biomedical research. Doerr has also donated to California political causes, including ballot propositions to fund public schools and stem cell research.

Will Rice College senior Chris Lamontagne said he does not think students will appreciate a speaker who is not well-known to undergraduates.

“I don’t think it will be a popular choice, but hopefully people will treat [Doerr] with respect,” Lamontagne said.

Brown College senior Laura Szarmach said she would like a better-known speaker, but thinks Doerr’s background could make his speech valuable.

“I’ve been underwhelmed with [speakers from] previous years because I feel that Rice can do better,” Szarmach said. “Someone with a successful career and Rice experience could be inspiring.”

Last year, Houston Mayor Bill White spoke at commencement, and Psychology Professor Mikki Hebl spoke in 2005. Other recent speakers include Attorney General Alberto Gonzales (Lovett ‘79), astronaut Shannon Lucid and comedian Bill Cosby.

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