Vance’s book was embraced by the public and political pundits alike last year as primer on the regional cultural and political values of predominately white, working class Appalachian communities and their support for then presidential candidate Donald Trump.
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“Middletown school district is proud to host distinguished alumnus J.D. Vance as the commencement speaker for graduation 2017,” Middletown Schools spokeswoman Destini Burns told this news outlet.
“He is a nationally acclaimed best-selling author and we are excited to hear the encouraging words and remarks he can share with our students, staff and community,” she said.
The former Butler County resident grew up in Middletown and the Appalachian town of Jackson, Ky., before enlisting in the Marine Corps and serving in Iraq.
A graduate of The Ohio State University and Yale Law School, his book topped the New York Times Bestseller list early in 2016 and for a time was number one among the top 10 best-selling non-fiction books in America.
The graduation ceremony will be at Princeton Pike Church of God in Liberty Township. Tickets will be available at the beginning of May, said Burns.
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