Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns was honored at a private party at Channel 9 after giving his May 15 commencement address at Washington University in St. Louis. Burns has been producing films for PBS for more than 25 years.

A special reception was held after the ceremony at Channel 9 studios where board member Gene Mackey presented Burns with a first-edition biography on  Robert Bookings (1850-1932). Brookings was an American businessman and philanthropist known for his involvement with Washington University in St. Louis and his founding of the Brookings Institution.