Renowned restaurateur to speak at Paul Smith's College Commencement

PAUL SMITHS, NY (05/08/2013)(readMedia)-- Wally Ganzi '63 will speak at the 66th Commencement exercises at Paul Smith's College on Saturday, May 11, at 11 a.m. Approximately 320 students are expected to be members of the Class of 2013.

Ganzi is co-owner and co-chairman of The Palm Restaurants and Palm Restaurant Group, which operate 28 fine-dining restaurants across the United States, as well as in Mexico City and London.

Ganzi's grandfather, John, opened the first of the renowned steakhouses in New York City in 1926 with a partner, Pio Bozzi; the Palm remains owned by the Ganzi and Bozzi families to this day. When Wally Ganzi began at the Palm in the early 1960s, he learned the trade from his father and grandfather.

Ganzi, who graduated from Paul Smith's in 1963 with a degree in hotel management, remains closely connected to the college: In addition to recruiting top graduates for the Palm, he is the namesake of the Wally Ganzi Jr. Restaurant Training Center on the Paul Smith's campus, which is outfitted with a kitchen equipped to Palm specifications. The 40-seat restaurant gives culinary and hospitality students the opportunity to train in a white-tablecloth environment without leaving campus; it will open to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings from June 28 to August 17.

He will receive an honorary doctor of letters degree at the ceremony.

WHO:	Paul Smith's College
WHAT:	66th Commencement Exercises
WHEN:	Saturday May 11, 2013 at 11:00AM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE:	Paul Smith's College Rts 30 & 86 Paul Smiths, New York 12970
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Posted Wednesday May 08, 2013 at 02:28 pm by Paul Smith's College
Last Updated Thursday May 09, 2013 at 11:47 am