01.20.00

By Artis Gordon

Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder will be honored tonight at Virginia Commonwealth University during a reception and dinner commemorating the 10th anniversary of his inauguration.

Wilder, the first African American to be elected governor in the United States, will be honored at VCU's Stuart C. Siegel Center, 1200 W. Broad St.

Gov. Jim Gilmore and VCU President Eugene P. Trani will host the event. Speakers will include former Govs. George Allen and Gerald L. Baliles; U.S. Sen. Charles S. Robb; former Secretary of Education James W. Dyke Jr.; and Delegate Jerrauld Jones, who chairs the Virginia Black Caucus.

Proceeds from the dinner will go toward the L. Douglas Wilder Scholars Program, which will provide scholarships for exemplary students. VCU will administer the program, and an advisory board will be named at tonight's dinner.

Tickets for the event cost $100. For more information, call (804) 828-1200.