Woody Shaw, III is slated to be Sunday's speaker at Laurinburg Institute's 105th graduation ceremony.

Graduation begins at 10 a.m.

Shaw is the son of jazz great Woody Shaw Jr.

He is also descended from a family with a history to Laurinburg.

His father, the late musical innovator and trumpeter Woody Shaw, Jr., was born at 519 Caledonia Road to Rosalie Pegues Shaw on December 24, 1944. Woody III’s grandfather, Woody Shaw, Sr. grew up at 323 Marcellus Street and attended Laurinburg Institute and Matthews Chapel School.

"I am very proud to represent my grandfather and my father, as well as the brilliant musical legacy of John Birks Dizzy Gillespie. They left a wonderful legacy for me to follow,” he said.

The 30-year-old is also heavily involved in information technology. In 2004, he constructed the successful website www.woodyshaw.com. Currently, he works as a consultant at the United Nations Department of Public Information.

He will be joining Dean Bishop McDuffie in a new effort to implement innovative ideas at Laurinburg Institute.

“With Laurinburg Institute’s history of strength, endurance and leadership, there is no limit to what the students can do if they tap into the powerful history of this wonderful and historic institution," he said.

Woody III received his bachelor of arts degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY in 2001. He majored in ethnomusicology - the study of the world’s musical cultures. During this time, he traveled to places such as Japan, India and Vietnam researching various cultures and musical traditions.

In 2004, he received his bachelor of fine arts from New School University, New York City where he developed his skills as a jazz drummer and a web developer. In 2005, he received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Graduate Scholarship from Hobart College and, in 2006, Shaw attended Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music for one year studying with world-renowned composer David N. Baker. In 2008, he received a Professional Certificate in Intellectual Property Law from New York University.

Shaw III currently resides in New York City plans to go to business school in 2010.