Armstrong Atlantic State University will graduate approximately 715 students on Saturday, May 10 at the university’s 2014 Spring Commencement at the Savannah Civic Center, located at 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave. The processional will start at 9:45 a.m., with the commencement ceremony beginning at 10 a.m.   

Dr. Irving Victor, a local physician and business owner, will serve as the keynote speaker. Victor has been awarded Armstrong’s first honorary Doctor of Letters, celebrated as one of the university’s Notable Alumni, and inducted into the Armstrong Athletic Hall of Fame. He is also a three-time recipient of Armstrong’s Distinguished Citizen’s Award and a former member of the Armstrong Alumni Board. This Savannah native graduated from Savannah High School and earned an associate degree in Liberal Arts from Armstrong in 1941. A member of the men’s tennis team, he distinguished himself as the valedictorian of his class at Armstrong’s original downtown Savannah campus and was elected class president.

After graduating from Armstrong, Victor attended the University of Georgia, served in the U.S. Navy, earned a medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia, and launched a successful career as a local urologist.  A respected member of the medical community for more than 40 years, he was a practicing physician from 1951 to 1992. He founded Chatham County Emergency Medical Services; served as chief of staff at Memorial, St. Joseph’s and Candler Hospital; and is the former president of the Georgia Medical Society and the Georgia Urological Association.

In addition to his accomplishments in the medical field, Victor is the co-owner of Vic’s on the River and Huey’s, two award-winning restaurants in downtown Savannah. A dedicated community leader, he has served on numerous local boards, including the United Way of the Coastal Empire, Union Mission, Memorial University Medical Center and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce.