Misplaced Pages

List of Fordham University commencement speakers

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

The following is a list of keynote speakers at the commencement of Fordham University.

Commencement Speakers 1941–present

Year Speaker(s) Notes Ref.
1941 Bishop J. Francis McIntyre
1942 Rev. Robert Gannon
1943 Rev. Robert Gannon
1944 Rev. Robert Gannon
1945 Major General Sir Walter Maxwell Scott
1946 Gov. Thomas Dewey President Truman also received an honorary degree and gave an address but this was not at June Commencement, it was in May
1947 Msgr. Ferdinand Vandry Director of Laval University
1948 Rev. Robert Gannon
1949 Rev. Laurence McGinley
1950 Rev. Laurence McGinley
1951 Rev. Laurence McGinley
1952 Msgr. John Middleton Education secretary Arch of New York
1953 Rev. Laurence McGinley
1954 Robert D. Murphy Deputy Under Secretary of State
1955 Rev. Laurence McGinley
1956 Rev. Laurence McGinley
1957 Rev. Laurence McGinley
1958 W.A. Harriman Governor of New York
1959 Cardinal Cushing
1960 Dr. Charles H. Malik President of United Nations General Assembly
1961 Joseph W. McGovern Fordham law professor and member of NYS Board of Regents
1962 Teodoro Moscoso Coordinator of The Alliance for Progress
1963 Sargent Shriver First Director of the Peace Corps
1964 Francis Cardinal Spellman
1965 Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey
1966 Rev. Vincent T O'Keefe President of Fordham
1967 Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Former Attorney General and United States Senator
1968 Leo McGlaughlin Eulogy and mass for Robert F. Kennedy
1969 Sen. Ted Kennedy Former United States Senator
1970 Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
1971 James Hester President of New York University
1972 Kurt Waldheim United Nations Secretary General and former Wehrmacht spy
1973 Dr. Ernest Boyer Chancellor of State University of New York
1974 Governor Malcolm Wilson
1975 Judge William Hughes Mulligan
1976 Governor Hugh Carey
1977 Thomas A. Murphy Chairman of General Motors
1978 Alan Alda Actor
1979 Zbigniew Brzezinski National Security Advisor
1980 Patricia Harris United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
1981 Paulo Evaristo Cardinal Arns
1982 Seamus Heaney Irish Poet
1983 Felix G. Rohatyn Investment Banker and Diplomat
1984 Rev. James Finlay Former President of Fordham
1985 Gov. Mario Cuomo Governor of New York
1986 Robert Hayes Founder of Coalition for the Homeless
1987 Alphonse D'Amato New York Senator
1988 Charles Osgood Radio and Television Commentator and Writer
1989 Timothy Healy, S.J. Former President of Georgetown University
1990 William P. Ford Lawyer and Bond Trader
1991 Marian Wright Edelman Children's Rights Activist
1992 Dr. John Brademas Indiana Congressman
1993 Peter Steinfels Journalist specializing in religious topics
1994 Jonathan Kozol Writer best known for his works on American public education
1995 Mary Robinson President of Ireland
1996 Rev. Joseph O'Hare Jesuit Priest, Civic Leader, and Fordham President
1997 Mary Higgins Clark Author of Suspense Novels
1998 Judge Joseph McLaughlin Judge
1999 George Mitchell; David Copperfield Former Maine Senator; Magician
2000 Vin Scully Sportscaster
2001 Bill Cosby Comedian and Actor
2002 Gerald Levin Mass-Media Businessman
2003 Ted Koppel Broadcast Journalist
2004 Tim Russert Television Journalist and Lawyer
2005 John Sexton Lawyer and former President of New York University
2006 Chris Matthews Political Commentator, Talk Show Host, and Author
2007 Willie Randolph Major League Baseball Player
2008 Charlie Rose Television Journalist and Talk Show Host
2009 Tom Brokaw Journalist and Author
2010 Mary McAleese President of Ireland
2011 Brian Williams NBC News Journalist
2012 John O. Brennan Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
2013 Richard Engel NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent
2014 Tino Martinez Professional Baseball Player
2015 Lordina Dramani Mahama First Lady of Ghana
2016 David J. Skorton, M.D. Physician, academic, and CEO of the Smithsonian Institution
2017 Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga; Sen. Chuck Schumer Salesian and Cardinal of the Catholic Church from Honduras; New York State Senator
2018 Dennis Walcot President & CEO of the Queens Library and former New York City schools chancellor
2019 Tim Shriver Disability Rights activist and Chairman of the Special Olympics
2022 Calvin O. Butts American Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church
2023 Stevie Wonder American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer
2024 Joseph P. Kennedy III United States Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs

References

  1. ^ "Fordham Commencement Speakers 1941-present". Fordham University Libraries. LibGuides. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  2. Verel, Patrick (May 20, 2017). "Class of 2017 Urged to Face Unsettling Times With a Merciful Heart". Fordham News. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  3. Morris, Tanisia (May 19, 2018). "Class of 2018 Called to Lead Nation toward a 'More Perfect Union'". Fordham News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  4. Verel, Patrick (May 18, 2019). "Transform Yourselves and You'll Transform the World, Shriver Tells Class of 2019". Fordham News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  5. Kultys, Kelly (May 21, 2022). "'You Are Tomorrow': Fordham Class of 2022 Invited to Transform, Lead the World". Fordham News. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  6. Verel, Patrick (May 21, 2023). "Stevie Wonder Performs for Class of 2023, Challenges Grads to 'Be Activists'". Fordham News. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  7. Gosier, Chris (April 12, 2024). "Fordham's 2024 Commencement Speaker Is Joseph P. Kennedy III". Fordham News. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
Fordham University
Schools
Campuses
Research
Buildings
Culture
Athletics
Media
Categories: