Monday, May 12, 2025



From the Argives: Iconic Commencement Speakers From the University’s Past

c/o Special Collections & Archives

With April slipping away and May just around the corner, the Spring semester is nearing its end. As the semester comes to a close, students can be seen picnicking on Foss Hill, playing Spikeball on Andrus Field, and going for walks in the gorgeous weather. All beam with excitement for upcoming campus-wide celebrations such as Spring Fling. All forget the inevitable burden of finals week.

For the beloved seniors of the class of 2025, graduation is just ahead. Before we bid farewell to these soon-to-be graduates, though, the campus community will gather to celebrate their achievements at the annual commencement ceremony set for Sunday, May 25, 2025.

Each year, the University welcomes an accomplished commencement speaker to share words of inspiration. This year, the University will host Ian Bassin ’98, the executive director of the non-partisan non-profit organization Protect Democracy. 

In response to the palpable anticipation for the 2025 ceremony, this week’s Argives columnist couldn’t resist exploring commencement at the University from years past. Even better, let’s take a look at some of the most iconic commencement speakers who have taken the graduation stage. 

1964: Martin Luther King Jr. 

c/o Special Collections & Archives

On June 6, 1964, The Argus published an unattributed article, “Wesleyan Awards 205 Degrees; Sargent Shriver, Martin Luther King To Address Record Crowds,” outlining the commencement ceremony for the class of 1964. 

“R. Sargent Shriver Jr., director of the Peace Corps, will deliver the commencement address,” the article reads. “The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, will preach at the baccalaureate service from Denison Terrace.” 

While Martin Luther King Jr. did not technically deliver the commencement speech, his sermon at the baccalaureate service served as an honorary address—one more spiritually and introspectively focused—and this columnist felt inclined to include it. A few months later, on Dec. 10, 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. 

1998: Oprah Winfrey 

In an April 10, 1998 article, “Oprah Winfrey To Deliver Graduation Keynote Speech,” then-Editor-in-Chief Scott Mayerowitz ’00 reported on the selection of the class of 1998’s commencement speaker. 

“Oprah Winfrey, the number one talk show host in the country, will deliver the commencement address for the class of 1998,” Mayerowitz wrote.

The article describes how a committee composed of administrators, professors, and senior class officers decided to nominate Winfrey. Committee Chair and Professor of Psychology Karl Scheibe explained in the article their intentions in endorsing Winfrey as speaker.

“Scheibe also said Winfrey would appeal to a wide range of people in the crowd and still talk about serious material,” Mayerowitz wrote. “He added that he believed her popularity is a positive feature, but was not [a] key issue in the decision to nominate her.”

In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Winfrey also hosted a commencement ceremony online for graduates of the Class of 2020 across the nation. Hosted on Facebook, Winfrey addressed millions of high school and college seniors whose commencement ceremonies were canceled due to the pandemic. It’s possible that members of the 2020 senior class at Wesleyan were also present (virtually). 

2008: Barack Obama 

c/o Special Collections & Archives

On August 29, 2008, The Argus published an article entitled “Obama encourages public service in commencement address” by then-Editors-in-Chief Matt Connolly ’09 and Miriam Leshin ’10. 

“In his commencement address, then-Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) directly challenged the class of 2008 to commit themselves to community involvement and global engagement,” Connolly and Leshin wrote. “Obama filled in for Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), whose recent diagnosis with a malignant brain tumor prevented him from speaking at the event.”

The writers proceeded to describe Obama’s kind and inspiring nature, which left a lasting impression on everyone at the ceremony. 

“Obama remained present after giving his speech, and individually shook each graduate’s hand as they proceeded onstage,” Connolly and Leshin wrote. 

Due to heightened security requirements as a result of Obama’s presence, commencement in 2008 was not an open event as per the University’s custom. Instead, each graduate was limited to 10 tickets of priority seating for family and friends on Andrus Field. Nevertheless, many more spectators came to the event and looked on from Foss Hill and College Row. 

“Secret Service agents screened all graduates and media personnel—which ranged from The Hartford Courant to The New York Times to Fox News—before they could gain access to their allotted areas on Andrus Field,” Connolly and Leshin wrote. “Additionally, several agents stood to watch on the roofs of Olin Library and Zelnick Pavilion.” 

Later that same year, Obama would be elected President of the United States on Nov. 4, 2008. Since his commencement speech was delivered during his presidential campaign, the article discussed how the upcoming election might have affected his presence. 

“According to commencement updates on the University website, Obama’s appearance was not part of his political campaign,” Connolly and Leshin wrote. “In his speech, however, Obama explicitly pointed to some of his presidential campaign’s proposals.” 

2015: Lin-Manuel Miranda 

In the Jan. 30, 2015 article, “Miranda ’02 To Deliver Graduation Address,”  then-News Editor Courtney Laermer ’17 reported that Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02 would be the 2015 commencement speaker. 

“Lin-Manuel Miranda ’02, an award-winning composer, lyricist, writer, and actor, will deliver this year’s commencement address, President Michael Roth announced in an email on Wednesday, Jan. 21,” Laermer wrote. 

Laermer continued to describe Miranda’s theatrical accomplishments along with his Wesleyan background. 

“In his email to the University, Roth emphasized Miranda’s well-known Tony and Grammy-winning ‘In The Heights,’ a Broadway show that first appeared in 2000 at the ’92 Theater at the University,” Laermer wrote. “This musical received four 2008 Tony Awards and was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.” 

Later that year, Miranda would go on to premiere his celebrated and renowned musical, “Hamilton,” on Broadway at the Richard Rogers Theater on July 13, 2015. 

The speakers mentioned in this article are just a few among many recognizable and accomplished figures in the University’s commencement past. This Argives columnist encourages the curious to check out the many more in the Argives

Maggie Smith can be reached at mssmith@wesleyan.edu.

“From the Argives” is a column that explores The Argus’ archives (Argives) and any interesting, topical, poignant, or comical stories that have been published in the past. Given The Argus’ long history on campus and the ever-shifting viewpoints of its student body, the material, subject matter, and perspectives expressed in the archived article may be insensitive or outdated, and do not reflect the views of any current member of The Argus. If you have any questions about the original article or its publication, please contact Archivists Lara Anlar at lanlar@wesleyan.edu, Hope Smith at hnsmith@wesleyan.edu, and Maggie Smith at mssmith@wesleyan.edu

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