Obama at Rutgers commencement was 2 years in the making

[...] after lobbying efforts that included prodding by the state's Congressional delegation, and the announcement of another commencement speaker, the school learned last month that its long campaign had been a success.

Obama will speak Sunday at Rutgers University's graduation ceremony at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, the first time a sitting president has spoken at the school's commencement.

The lobbying effort included phone calls to administration officials and letters sent to Obama that focused on the school's long and distinguished history.

The chairman of Rutgers' board also hand-delivered a copy of Rutgers invitation during an Oval Office meeting in January 2014, said college spokesman E.J. Miranda.

Among the highlights the proponents noted was that Rutgers Professor Selman Waksman won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1952 for research that led to the discovery of streptomycin, the first antibiotic effective against tuberculosis.

[...] in 1869, New Brunswick served as the location for the first intercollegiate football game, in which Rutgers beat Princeton 6-4.

Eight days before Obama announced Rutgers would be one of the final three commencement addresses he would give during his time in office, Rutgers announced that noted journalist and former White House press secretary Bill Moyers would be the commencement speaker.