Westport attorney Leo Nevas, a member of the University of Bridgeport Class of 1931 and a leader in international human rights, told UB graduates to keep their aim high and to apply their skills to lower the individual and international barriers that lead to wars.Nevas was the principal speaker and received an honorary degree at the 94th UB Commencement held at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The graduation concluded the two-year celebration of its 75th anniversary at the school, founded as a junior college in 1927 and awarding its first degrees in 1929.
President Neil Albert Salonen presented degrees to more than 1,000 graduates, from associate’s and bachelor’s degrees to master’s doctorates in education and chiropractic and naturopathic medicine, at the ceremonies.
Nevas, who began his college education at UB in 1929 and went on to the University of Michigan and Cornell Law School, told the graduates that a University of Bridgeport education “opens the door to opportunity” and they “should take full advantage of it.”
The Westport attorney and international human rights advocate reminisced about his days at the university, and saluted the university’s founder, E. Everett Cortright, saying he had the vision to start the college in a city that had need for a talented work force and had no colleges.”
Noting that UB has a 30 percent international enrollment that is “more integrated in the student body than at many other colleges,” he said “UB graduates have a special responsibility to bring that quality to a wider world.”
He told the students they have the ability to see people for what they are, and not for their color, background or language. The world needs to be able to do that if we’re to find peace and freedom everywhere, he said.
Nevas, who has been involved as a supporter of the United Nations since its start, spoke highly of the U.N. activities in helping to keep but slighted the organization on its human rights record. He did, however, praise Secretary-General Kofi Annan as one of the “best ever,” and said the sooner the U.N. takes a major role in Iraq, “the better for the United States.”
Two other leaders were honor. M. Walter Levine of Westport and the president, chief executive officer and founder of High Speed Video received an honorary degree. Alumnus Arthur E. Landi, the principal of a major design business, Display Producers, received the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award, the university 75th Anniversary Medal. Mr. Levine lives in Greens Farms. Mr. Landi makes his home in Greenwich.
Nevas grew up in Norwalk. After law school, he returned to Connecticut to establish his legal practice in Westport, where, early in his career, he served as a prosecutor and judge of the Municipal Court.
He is on the board of the International League for Human Rights and formerly served as its president; past chairman of the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, the CEGI U.S. Board of Directors, the Andrei Sakharov Archives and Human Rights Center at Brandeis University, the
Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, the American Jewish
World Service, the United Nations Association USA, the American Theatre Wing,
secretary and member of the board of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps and an emeritus vice chairman and director of the Fairfield County Community Foundation. He is on the board of the Cornell Law School Alumni Association.
Levine is a serial entrepreneur known for his track record of building successful user-subscriber enterprises in emerging technology, consumer and entertainment markets.
Levine’s High Speed Video specializes in video conferencing and serves such clients as the National Football League and ESPN. It is known for its unique technology for high speed video transmission through existing telephone lines.
Prior to that, he founded the Amtax group as a private investment banking company and before that, he founded Protective Alarm Co., which he built into one of the top security alarm companies in the United States.
Levine is active in many charities, including the Pro Sports Challenge for the benefit of mentally handicapped special children, work with cancer patients and the “We’ in this Together” golf and tennis tournament that benefits schoolchildren in Norwalk, Westport and Fairfield and provides drug and alcohol education.
Landi lives in Greenwich. His design and manufacturing firm, located in the Bronx, specializes in retail point-of-sale displays for Fortune 500 companies in the cosmetic, electronic, financial and personal care industries. He graduated in 1974 from UB’s College of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial design, and remains a strong supporter of that program.
Landi holds numerous patents for retail sales devices and has won more than 100 industry awards for product excellence. He is a member of the Industrial Designers Society of America and the Society of Plastics Engineers. He is active in the Boy Scouts, serving as a regional board member of the national Boy Scouts of America and is a former president of the Greenwich Council of Boy Scouts of America. He’s also a board member of the Round Hill Community Church.