On Friday, May 19, 2006, in Madison Square Garden in New York City, 2,630 graduate and undergraduate students received their degrees at The New School's 70th Commencement ceremony. New School President Bob Kerrey addressed the graduates and conferred the honorary degrees to performance artist Laurie Anderson, human rights advocate Sidney Jones, sustainable design expert Ezio Manzini, Nobel Prize winning economist Robert M. Solow, and Senator John S. McCain (R-Arizona), who also delivered the commencement address.