Commencement at the University of Notre Dame
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The University of Notre Dame's annual commencement exercises are held each May, currently in the
Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, the home field of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. It was built in 1930 under the guidance of Knute Rockne, regarded as one of the greatest co ...
. The exercises award undergraduate and graduate degrees.


Traditions

During commencement, the
Laetare Medal The Laetare Medal is an annual award given by the University of Notre Dame in recognition of outstanding service to the Catholic Church and society. The award is given to an American Catholic or group of Catholics "whose genius has ennobled the a ...
is awarded. Notre Dame is known for inviting US presidents to deliver the commencement address, especially in the year of their inauguration. Six recent presidents have delivered the address, including
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
,
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
,
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
,
George Bush George Bush most commonly refers to: * George H. W. Bush (1924–2018), 41st president of the United States and father of the 43rd president * George W. Bush (born 1946), 43rd president of the United States and son of the 41st president Georg ...
,
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, and Barack Obama. Most recently, Vice President
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
spoke instead of President Donald Trump, as the president was visiting Saudi Arabia. Notre Dame leads the non-military university by most presidents delivering the address at commencement. Joseph Biden (who had previously spoken at commencement in 2016 as the awardee of the Laetare Medal) was invited in 2021, but could not attend due to scheduling issues.


List of Commencement speakers

*1861: John McMullen, priest and teacher from Chicago *1865: William Tecumseh Sherman, Union General during the Civil War *1867: T.E. Corcoran, editor of The Catholic Telegraph *1870: Paul Broder, professor from
Beloit College Beloit College is a private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin. Founded in 1846, when Wisconsin was still a territory, it is the state's oldest continuously operated college. It is a member of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest and has ...
, Wisconsin *1871:
Augustus C. Dodge Augustus Caesar Dodge (January 2, 1812November 20, 1883) was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic delegate to the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa Territory, a U.S. minister to Spain, and o ...
,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
from Iowa *1872: Joseph Dwenger, Bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana *1873: John J. Fitzgibbon, editor of The Western Catholic *1874: S. S. Hayes,
Comptroller A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...
from City of Chicago *1875: J. S. Morris, from Vicksburg, Mississippi *1876: William J. Onahan, Chicago Catholic activist and businessman *1877:
Frank H. Hurd Frank Hunt Hurd (December 25, 1840 – July 10, 1896) was a U.S. Representative from Ohio for three separate terms. Life and career Hurd was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio. He was the son of Rollin C. Hurd, a local judge, and Mary B. Hurd, sister o ...
,
U.S. Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Ohio *1878: John Lancaster Spalding, Bishop of Peoria, Illinois *1879: No commencement exercises due to the great fire *1880:
Edmund Francis Dunne Count Edmund Francis Dunne, (July 30, 1835 – October 4, 1904) born Edmund Francis O'Dunne, was an American politician and jurist who served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona Territory. During his early career he served in the Cal ...
, Chief Justice of Arizona *1881: W. W. Cleary, from Covington, Kentucky *1882: Silas Chatard,
Bishop of Vincennes A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop i ...
, Indiana *1883:
John Ambrose Watterson John Ambrose Watterson (May 27, 1844 – April 17, 1899) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Columbus in Ohio from 1880 until his death in 1899. Biography Early life The sixth of eleven chi ...
, Bishop of Columbus, Ohio *1884: Ignacio Montes de Oca y Obregón, Bishop of Linares, Mexico *1885: The scheduled speaker Major General William S. Rosecrans canceled his commitment due to duties in Washington, D.C. *1886: John Lancaster Spalding, Bishop of Peoria, llinois *1887: Richard Gilmour, Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland">Bishop of Cleveland The Diocese of Cleveland ( la, Dioecesis Clevelandensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Pope Pius IX erected the diocese April 23, 1847, in ter ...
*1888: P. F. Carr, from Denver, Colorado *1889: William P. Breen, Alumnus from Fort Wayne, Indiana *1890: John Lancaster Spalding, Bishop of Peoria, Illinois *1891: John Lancaster Spalding, Bishop of Peoria, Illinois *1892: John Samuel Foley, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, Bishop of Detroit, Michigan *1893: Robert Seton, priest from the Diocese of Newark, N.J. *1894:
John Ambrose Watterson John Ambrose Watterson (May 27, 1844 – April 17, 1899) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Columbus in Ohio from 1880 until his death in 1899. Biography Early life The sixth of eleven chi ...
, Bishop of Columbus, Ohio *1895: John Lancaster Spalding, Bishop of Peoria, Illinois *1896: Thomas A. Moran, judge from Chicago *1897: Joseph F. Mooney, priest from the Archdiocese of New York *1898:
Maurice Francis Burke Maurice Francis Burke (May 5, 1845 – March 17, 1923) was an Ireland, Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne, Diocese of Cheyenne in Wyoming (1887–1893) and as bishop o ...
, Bishop of St. Joseph, Missouri *1899: John Lancaster Spalding, Bishop of Peoria, Illinois *1900:
John J. Glennon John Joseph Glennon (June 14, 1862 – March 9, 1946) was a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1903 until his death in 1946. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946. Early life and ministry John Gle ...
, Bishop of Kansas City, Missouri *1901: John Shanley, Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota *1902: William P. Breen A.B. ’77, A.M. ’80 from Fort Wayne, Indiana *1903:
John M. Gearin John McDermeid Gearin (August 15, 1851November 12, 1930) was an American politician and attorney from the state of Oregon. A native of the eastern portion of the state, he represented Portland on the western side of the state in the Oregon House ...
, attorney from Portland, Oregon *1904:
Charles Joseph Bonaparte Charles Joseph Bonaparte (; June 9, 1851June 28, 1921) was an American lawyer and political activist for progressive and liberal causes. Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, he served in the cabinet of the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt ...
, attorney, progressive reformer, member of the
Board of Indian Commissioners The Board of Indian Commissioners was a committee that advised the federal government of the United States on Native American policy and inspected supplies delivered to Indian agencies to ensure the fulfillment of government treaty obligations. Hi ...
*1905: Marcus A. Kavanagh, judge from Chicago *1906: D. J. Stafford, priest and lecturer from Washington, D.C. *1907: John Talbot Smith, priest, author, lecturer from New York City *1908:
Charles P. Neill Charles Patrick Neill (December 12, 1865 – October 3, 1942) was an American civil servant who was raised in Austin, Texas, after his family emigrated from Ireland in 1850. Neill graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 1897 with a doctorate in ...
, U.S. Commissioner of Labor *1909: Hannis Taylor, United States Ambassador to Spain, authority on international law *1910:
Thomas Riley Marshall Thomas Riley Marshall (March 14, 1854 – June 1, 1925) was an American politician who served as the 28th vice president of the United States from 1913 to 1921 under President Woodrow Wilson. A prominent lawyer in Indiana, he became an acti ...
, Governor of Indiana *1911:
Charles Fitzpatrick Sir Charles Fitzpatrick (December 19, 1851 – June 17, 1942) was a Canadian lawyer and politician, who served as the fifth Chief Justice of Canada. He was born in Quebec City, Canada East, to John Fitzpatrick and Mary Connolly. He studied a ...
, Chief Justice of Canada *1912: Thomas F. Hickey, Bishop of Rochester, New York *1913:
James M. Cox James Middleton Cox (March 31, 1870 July 15, 1957) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 46th and 48th governor of Ohio, and a two-term U.S. Representative from Ohio. As the Democratic nominee for President of the United St ...
,
Governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
*1914:
Joseph E. Ransdell Joseph Eugene Ransdell (October 7, 1858July 27, 1954) was an attorney and politician from Louisiana. Beginning in 1899, he was elected for seven consecutive terms as United States representative from Louisiana's 5th congressional district. He sub ...
,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
from Louisiana *1915:
John F. Fitzgerald John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (February 11, 1863 – October 2, 1950) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served as a U.S. Representative and Mayor of Boston. He also made unsuccessful runs for the United ...
, Mayor of Boston and
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
*1916:
Martin Joseph Wade Martin Joseph Wade (October 20, 1861 – April 16, 1931) was a United States representative from Iowa and a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Education and career Born on October ...
, Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from Iowa and Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa *1917: Joseph Chartrand, Coadjutor, Bishop of Indianapolis *1918: Edward N. Hurley, Chairman of the United States Shipping Board *1919: Francis Bickerstaffe-Drew, English war chaplain and novelist *1920:
Morgan J. O'Brien Morgan Joseph O'Brien (April 28, 1852 – June 16, 1937) was a lawyer and Judge of the New York Supreme Court and later as member and Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, First Judicial Department from 1896 to ...
, Judge of the
New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...
*1921:
David I. Walsh David Ignatius Walsh (November 11, 1872June 11, 1947) was an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 46th Governor of Massachusetts before serving several terms in the Unite ...
,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
from Massachusetts *1922: Kickham Scanlan, Chief Justice of the Criminal Court, Chicago *1923: Thomas Lindsey Blayney, diplomat, veteran of the world war, educator from Rice University, Huston *1924:
Woodbridge N. Ferris Woodbridge Nathan Ferris (January 6, 1853March 23, 1928) was an American educator from New York, Illinois and Michigan who served as the 28th governor of Michigan and in the United States Senate as a Democrat. Early life in New York, Michigan a ...
,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
from Michigan *1925: Edmond H. Moore,
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...
member and attorney from Youngstown, Ohio *1926:
Dudley G. Wooten Dudley Goodall Wooten (June 19, 1860 – February 7, 1929) was a U.S. Representative from Texas. Early years Born near Springfield, Missouri, Wooten moved in infancy with his parents to Texas during the Civil War. Education He attended privat ...
, former
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from Texas and Professor of Law at the Notre Dame Law School *1927: Alfred J. Talley, judge on the circuit court of appeals of New York City *1928: Francis O'Shaughnessy, attorney, Chicago *1929: Colonel
William J. Donovan William Joseph "Wild Bill" Donovan (January 1, 1883 – February 8, 1959) was an American soldier, lawyer, intelligence officer and diplomat, best known for serving as the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the precursor to the Bur ...
, former United States Assistant Attorney General and war hero from Buffalo, New York *1930:
Claude G. Bowers Claude Gernade Bowers (November 20, 1878 – January 21, 1958) was a newspaper columnist and editor, author of best-selling books on American history, Democratic Party politician, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's ambassador to Spain (1933 ...
, author, editor, orator *1931:
Angus Daniel McDonald Angus Daniel McDonald (April 14, 1878 – November 15, 1941) was an American railroad executive. He was president of the Southern Pacific Company, the parent company of the Southern Pacific Railroad. McDonald attended the University of Notre Da ...
, Treasurer of the United States Railroad Commission *1932:
Owen D. Young Owen D. Young (October 27, 1874July 11, 1962) was an American industrialist, businessman, lawyer and diplomat at the Second Reparations Conference (SRC) in 1929, as a member of the German Reparations International Commission. He is known for t ...
, New York City financier *1933:
Paul V. McNutt Paul Vories McNutt (July 19, 1891 – March 24, 1955) was an American diplomat and politician who served as the 34th governor of Indiana, high commissioner to the Philippines, administrator of the Federal Security Agency, chairman of the ...
, Governor of Indiana *1934:
Frank C. Walker Frank Comerford Walker (May 30, 1886 – September 13, 1959) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the United States Postmaster General from 1940 until 1945, and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1943 until 1944. Bio ...
, Chairman of the National Emergency Council *1935:
Shane Leslie Sir John Randolph Leslie, 3rd Baronet (Irish: ''Sir Seaghán Leslaigh''; 24 September 1885 – 14 August 1971), commonly known as Sir Shane Leslie, was an Irish-born diplomat and writer. He was a first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill. In 1908 ...
, essayist, dramatist, lecturer *1936:
William J. Mayo William James Mayo (June 29, 1861 – July 28, 1939) was a physician and surgeon in the United States and one of the seven founders of the Mayo Clinic. He and his brother, Charles Horace Mayo, both joined their father's private medical practice ...
, cofounder of
Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staff, ...
*1937: Dennis F. Kelly, president of The Fair Store, a Chicago department store *1938: Terence Byrne Cosgrove, attorney from San Francisco *1939: William Henry Harrison, Vice-President and Chief Engineer of AT&T *1940:
David Worth Clark David Worth Clark, aka D. Worth Clark (April 2, 1902June 19, 1955), was a Democratic congressman and United States Senator from Idaho, its first U.S. Senator born in the state. Early years Clark was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho and attended publ ...
,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
from Idaho *1941: Joseph P. Kennedy, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom *1942: J. Edgar Hoover,
Director of the FBI The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a United States' federal law enforcement agency, and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI Director is appointed for a singl ...
*1942-Winter: William F. Jeffers *1943: Arthur J. Hope, author and editor *1943-Winter:
Harry F. Kelly Harry Francis Kelly (April 19, 1895 – February 8, 1971) was an American politician. He served as the 39th governor of Michigan from 1943 to 1947. Early life Kelly was born in Ottawa, Illinois, one of nine siblings born to Mary Agnes (Morriss ...
, former
Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...
*1944: Thomas J. Brennan, Notre Dame professor of philosophy *1945: Phillip S. Moore, dean of the Notre Dame Graduate School *1946: George Sokolsky, columnist *1947: General
George C. Kenney George Churchill Kenney (August 6, 1889 – August 9, 1977) was a United States Army general during World War II. He is best known as the commander of the Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area (SWPA), a position he held between Augu ...
, Chief of the
Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...
*1948:
Paul G. Hoffman Paul Gray Hoffman (April 26, 1891October 8, 1974) was an American automobile company executive, statesman, and global development aid administrator. He was the first administrator of the Economic Cooperation Administration, where he led the imp ...
, Director of Economic Cooperation Administration, Washington, D.C. *1949: John Stephen Burke, President of
B. Altman and Company B. Altman and Company was a luxury department store and chain, founded in 1865 in New York City, New York, by Benjamin Altman. Its flagship store, the B. Altman and Company Building at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, ...
, New York City *1950-Winter: John F. Kennedy, U.S. Congressman (and later President of the United States of America) *1950:
John J. Hearne John Joseph Hearne (; 189329 March 1969) was an Irish legal scholar and diplomat who was referred to as "Ireland's Thomas Jefferson" for his role in the drafting of the 1937 Constitution of Ireland. Biography John Hearne was the youngest son ...
, ambassador of Ireland to the U.S. *1951: Francis Patrick Matthews, Secretary of the Navy *1952:
Charles Malik Charles Habib Malik (sometimes spelled ''Charles Habib Malik''; 11 February 1906 – 28 December 1987; ar, شارل مالك) was a Lebanese academic, diplomat, philosopher, and politician. He served as the Lebanese representative to the United ...
, Minister of Lebanon to the U.S. *1953:
Detlev W. Bronk Detlev Wulf Bronk (August 13, 1897 – November 17, 1975) was a prominent American scientist, educator, and administrator. He is credited with establishing biophysics as a recognized discipline. Bronk served as president of Johns Hopkins Universi ...
, president of the Johns Hopkins University *1954:
James R. Killian James Rhyne Killian Jr. (July 24, 1904 – January 29, 1988) was the 10th president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from 1948 until 1959. Early life Killian was born on July 24, 1904, in Blacksburg, South Carolina. His father ...
, president of
M.I.T. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
*1955:
Herbert Brownell Herbert Brownell Jr. (February 20, 1904 – May 1, 1996) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. From 1953 to 1957, he served as United States Attorney General in the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Early life Browne ...
,
Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
*1956:
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Arleigh A. Burke Arleigh Albert Burke (October 19, 1901 – January 1, 1996) was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy ...
, Chief of Naval Operations, U.S. Navy *1957:
Earl Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969. The Warren Court presided over a major shift in American constitution ...
, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court *1958:
James P. Mitchell James Paul Mitchell (November 12, 1900October 19, 1964) was an American politician and businessman from New Jersey. Nicknamed "the social conscience of the Republican Party," he served as United States Secretary of Labor from 1953 to 1961 during ...
,
Secretary of Labor The United States Secretary of Labor is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and as the head of the United States Department of Labor, controls the department, and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all ot ...
*1959: John McCone, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission *1960:
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
, 34th President of the United States *1961: Robert Sargent Shriver Jr., Director of the Peace Corps *1962: Henry Cabot Lodge, US Ambassador to the United Nations *1963: Lester B. Pearson, Prime Minister of Canada *1964:
Thomas C. Mann Thomas Clifton Mann (November 11, 1912 – January 23, 1999) was an American diplomat who specialized in Latin American affairs. He entered the U.S. Department of State in 1942 and quickly rose through the ranks to become an influential es ...
, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs *1965:
McGeorge Bundy McGeorge "Mac" Bundy (March 30, 1919 – September 16, 1996) was an American academic who served as the U.S. National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 through 1966. He was president of the Ford Founda ...
, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs *1966: Barbara Ward, economist, London, England *1967:
Eugene J. McCarthy Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. ...
, U.S. Senator from Minnesota *1968:
James A. Perkins James Alfred Perkins (October 11, 1911 – August 19, 1998) was the seventh president of Cornell University, from 1963 to 1969. Biography Perkins was born in 1911 in Philadelphia, graduated with honors in 1934 from Swarthmore College, and rece ...
, president of Cornell University *1969:
Daniel P. Moynihan Daniel Patrick Moynihan (March 16, 1927 – March 26, 2003) was an American politician, diplomat and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented New York in the United States Senate from 1977 until 2001 and served as an ...
, Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs *1970:
James E. Allen, Jr. James Edward Allen Jr. (April 25, 1911 – October 16, 1971) was the Commissioner of Education of the State of New York from 1955 to 1969 and served briefly as Richard Nixon's U.S. Commissioner of Education. He ordered New York school boards to ...
,
U.S. Commissioner of Education The Commissioner of Education was the title given to the head of the federal Office of Education, which was historically a unit within and originally assigned to the Department of the Interior in the United States. The position was created on March ...
*1971: Kenneth Keniston, Yale Medical School *1972: Kingman Brewster Jr., president of Yale University *1973: Malcolm Moos, president of the University of Minnesota *1974: Rosemary Park, professor of education, UCLA *1975: Alan J. Pifer, president of the
Carnegie Corporation of New York The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Carnegie Corporation has endowed or otherwise helped to establis ...
and the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (CFAT) is a U.S.-based education policy and research center. It was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of the United States Congress. Among its most nota ...
*1976: Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Executive Director of the National Urban League *1977:
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
, 39th President of the United States *1978:
William F. Buckley Jr. William Frank Buckley Jr. (born William Francis Buckley; November 24, 1925 – February 27, 2008) was an American public intellectual, conservative author and political commentator. In 1955, he founded ''National Review'', the magazine that stim ...
, editor of
The National Review ''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief i ...
*1979: Joseph A. Califano Jr.,
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare The United States secretary of health and human services is the head of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all health matters. The secretary is ...
*1980:
Benjamin Civiletti Benjamin Richard Civiletti (July 17, 1935October 16, 2022) was an American lawyer who served as the United States Attorney General during the Carter administration, from 1979 to 1981. The first Italian American to lead the U.S. Department of Jus ...
,
Attorney General of the United States The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
*1981:
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
, 40th President of the United States *1982:
Pierre Trudeau Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada The prime mini ...
, Prime Minister of Canada *1983: Cardinal
Joseph Bernadin Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an American Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death in 1996 from ...
,
Archbishop of Chicago The Archdiocese of Chicago ( la, Archidiœcesis Chicagiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Northeastern Illinois, in the United States. It was established as a diocese in 1843 and ...
*1984:
Loret Miller Ruppe Loret Miller Ruppe (January 3, 1936 – August 7, 1996) was a Director of the Peace Corps and US Ambassador to Norway. She was the wife of U. S. Congressman Philip Ruppe of Michigan. Early life Loret Miller was born January 3, 1936, in Milwaukee ...
, Director of the Peace Corps *1985: Jose Napoleon Duarte Fuentes, President of El Salvador *1986: Bishop
James W. Malone James William Malone (March 8, 1920 – April 9, 2000) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, Diocese of Youngstown in Ohio from 1968 to 1995. Biog ...
, Bishop of Youngstown and president of the
United States Catholic Conference The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...
*1987: Derek Bok, president of Harvard University *1988:
Andrew Jackson Young Andrew Jackson Young Jr. (born March 12, 1932) is an American politician, diplomat, and activist. Beginning his career as a pastor, Young was an early leader in the civil rights movement, serving as executive director of the Southern Christian L ...
,
Mayor of Atlanta Here is a list of mayors of Atlanta, Georgia. The mayor is the highest elected official in Atlanta. Since its incorporation in 1847, the city has had 61 mayors. The current mayor is Andre Dickens who was elected in the 2021 election and took of ...
, Georgia *1989: Peter Ueberroth, Commissioner of Major League Baseball *1990: Bill Cosby, actor and producer *1991: Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, editor of
Commonweal Commonweal or common weal may refer to: * Common good, what is shared and beneficial for members of a given community * Common Weal, a Scottish think tank and advocacy group * Commonweal (magazine), ''Commonweal'' (magazine), an American lay-Cath ...
*1992:
George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
, 41st President of the United States *1993: Tom Brokaw, NBC news anchor *1994: Albert Reynolds, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland *1995:
Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...
, Provost of
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
(later U.S. Secretary of State) *1996: Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand professor of law, Harvard University *1997: Mark Shields, political Commentator and columnist *1998:
Joe E. Kernan Joseph Eugene Kernan III (April 8, 1946 – July 29, 2020) was an American businessman and Democratic politician who served as the 48th governor of Indiana from 2003 to 2005. He previously served as the 47th lieutenant governor of Indiana fro ...
, Indiana Lieutenant Governor *1999: Elizabeth Dole, president of the
American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
*2000: Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations *2001:
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
, 43rd President of the United States *2002: Tim Russert, host of NBC's Meet the Press *2003:
Richard Lugar Richard Green Lugar (April 4, 1932 – April 28, 2019) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Indiana from 1977 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party. Born in Indianapolis, Lugar graduated from De ...
,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
from Indiana *2004: Alan Page, Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court *2005:
Vartan Gregorian Vartan Gregorian; fa, وارتان گرگوریان (April 8, 1934 – April 15, 2021) was an Armenian-American academic, educator, and historian. He served as president of the Carnegie Corporation from 1997 to 2021. An Armenian born in Ira ...
, president of the Carnegie Corporation *2006: Mary McAleese, President of Ireland *2007:
Jeffrey Immelt Jeffrey Robert Immelt (born February 19, 1956) is an American business executive currently working as a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates. He previously served as the CEO of General Electric from 2001 to 2017, and the CEO of GE's Medi ...
, CEO of General Electric *2008:
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Theodore E. McCarrick Theodore Edgar McCarrick (born July 7, 1930) is a laicized American bishop and former cardinal of the Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in 1958, he became an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1977, then became Bishop of M ...
, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C. *2009: Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States *2010:
Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American retired journalist and television news anchor. He was a reporter for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in 2004. ...
, anchor of NBC Nightly News *2011: Robert Gates,
Secretary of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
*2012: Haley Scott DeMaria, alumna and motivational speaker *2013: Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York *2014: Ray Hammond II Founder of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church *2015: Lord
Chris Patten Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, (; born 12 May 1944) is a British politician who was the 28th and last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997 and Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992. He was made a life pe ...
(Lord Patten of Barnes),
Chancellor of the University of Oxford This is a list of chancellors of the University of Oxford in England by year of appointment. __TOC__ Chronological list See also *List of vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford *List of University of Oxford people * List of chancello ...
*2016: General
Martin E. Dempsey Martin “Marty” Edward Dempsey (born March 14, 1952), is a retired United States Army general who served as the 18th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 1, 2011 until September 25, 2015. He previously served as the 37th chief o ...
,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: app ...
*2017:
Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...
, 48th Vice President of the United States *2018:
Sérgio Moro Sergio Fernando Moro (; born 1 August 1972) is a Brazilian jurist, former federal judge, Professor, college professor and politician. He was elected to be a member of the Federal Senate (Brazil), Federal Senate for Paraná (state), Paraná in O ...
*2019: Peggy Noonan *2020:
Bartholomew I of Constantinople Bartholomew I ( el, Βαρθολομαῖος Αʹ, , tr, I. Bartholomeos; born 29 February 1940) is the 270th archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch, since 2 November 1991. In accordance with his title, he is regarded as the ''pr ...
(cancelled due to the COVID19 pandemic. The 2020 Commencement Celebration was held in 2022 and the speaker was
John Crowley John Crowley may refer to: *John Crowley (Irish revolutionary) (1891-1942), Irish revolutionary and hunger striker *John Crowley (author) (born 1942), American author *John Crowley (baseball) (1862–1896), American Major League catcher *John Crowl ...
). *2021: Jimmy Dunne, Financier and Notre Dame Trustee *2022:
Borys Gudziak Borys Gudziak (born 24 November 1960) is the current Archeparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. He founded the Institute of Church History and served as the rector and president of the Ukrainian Catholic University. He wa ...
, Archeparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia


See also

* Commencement at Central Connecticut State University * List of commencement speakers at Harvard University * List of Fordham University commencement speakers


References


External links

{{University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame Graduation