List of Fordham University commencement speakers

The following is a list of keynote speakers at the commencement of Fordham University, 1941–present.[1]

Year Speaker(s) Notes Ref.
1941 Bishop J. Francis McIntyre [1]
1942 Rev. Robert Gannon President of Fordham [1]
1943 Rev. Robert Gannon President of Fordham [1]
1944 Rev. Robert Gannon President of Fordham [1]
1945 Major General Sir Walter Maxwell Scott [1]
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. [1]
1947 Msgr. Ferdinand Vandry Director of Laval University [1]
1948 Rev. Robert Gannon President of Fordham [1]
1949 Rev. Laurence McGinley President of Fordham [1]
1950 Rev. Laurence McGinley President of Fordham [1]
1951 Rev. Laurence McGinley President of Fordham [1]
1952 Msgr. John Middleton Education secretary, Archdioscese of New York [1]
1953 Rev. Laurence McGinley President of Fordham [1]
1954 Robert D. Murphy Deputy under secretary of state [1]
1955 Rev. Laurence McGinley President of Fordham [1]
1956 Rev. Laurence McGinley President of Fordham [1]
1957 Rev. Laurence McGinley President of Fordham [1]
1958 William Averell Harriman Governor of New York [1]
1959 Richard Cardinal Cushing Archbishop of Boston [1]
1960 Dr. Charles H. Malik President of United Nations General Assembly [1]
1961 Joseph W. McGovern Fordham law professor and member of NYS Board of Regents [1]
1962 Teodoro Moscoso Coordinator of the Alliance for Progress [1]
1963 Sargent Shriver First director of the Peace Corps [1]
1964 Francis Cardinal Spellman Archbishop of New York [1]
1965 Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey [1]
1966 Rev. Vincent T O'Keefe President of Fordham [1]
1967 Sen. Robert F. Kennedy Former attorney general and United States senator [1]
1968 Leo McGlaughlin Eulogy and mass for Robert F. Kennedy [1]
1969 Sen. Ted Kennedy Former United States senator [1]
1970 Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan New York senator [1]
1971 James Hester President of New York University [1]
1972 Kurt Waldheim United Nations secretary general and former Wehrmacht spy [1]
1973 Dr. Ernest Boyer Chancellor of State University of New York [1]
1974 Governor Malcolm Wilson Governor of New York [1]
1975 Judge William Hughes Mulligan Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit [1]
1976 Governor Hugh Carey Governor of New York [1]
1977 Thomas A. Murphy Chairman of General Motors [1]
1978 Alan Alda Actor [1]
1979 Zbigniew Brzezinski National Security advisor [1]
1980 Patricia Harris United States secretary of Health and Human Services [1]
1981 Paulo Evaristo Cardinal Arns Archbishop of São Paulo [1]
1982 Seamus Heaney Irish poet [1]
1983 Felix G. Rohatyn Investment banker and diplomat [1]
1984 Rev. James Finlay Former president of Fordham [1]
1985 Gov. Mario Cuomo Governor of New York [1]
1986 Robert Hayes Founder of Coalition for the Homeless [1]
1987 Alphonse D'Amato New York senator [1]
1988 Charles Osgood Radio and television commentator and writer [1]
1989 Timothy Healy, S.J. Former president of Georgetown University [1]
1990 William P. Ford Lawyer and bond trader [1]
1991 Marian Wright Edelman Children's rights activist [1]
1992 Dr. John Brademas Indiana congressman [1]
1993 Peter Steinfels Journalist specializing in religious topics [1]
1994 Jonathan Kozol Writer best known for his works on American public education [1]
1995 Mary Robinson President of Ireland [1]
1996 Rev. Joseph O'Hare Jesuit priest, civic leader, and Fordham president [1]
1997 Mary Higgins Clark Author of suspense novels [1]
1998 Judge Joseph McLaughlin Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit [1]
1999 George Mitchell; David Copperfield Former Maine senator; magician [1]
2000 Vin Scully Sportscaster [1]
2001 Bill Cosby Comedian and actor [1]
2002 Gerald Levin Mass-media businessman [1]
2003 Ted Koppel Broadcast journalist [1]
2004 Tim Russert Television journalist and lawyer [1]
2005 John Sexton Lawyer and former president of New York University [1]
2006 Chris Matthews Political commentator, talk show host, and author [1]
2007 Willie Randolph Major League Baseball player [1]
2008 Charlie Rose Television journalist and talk show host [1]
2009 Tom Brokaw, Michael Bloomberg Journalist and author, New York City mayor [1]
2010 Mary McAleese President of Ireland [1]
2011 Brian Williams NBC News journalist [1]
2012 John O. Brennan Former director of the Central Intelligence Agency [1]
2013 Richard Engel NBC News chief foreign correspondent [1]
2014 Tino Martinez Professional baseball player [1]
2015 Lordina Dramani Mahama First Lady of Ghana [1]
2016 David J. Skorton, M.D. Physician, academic, and CEO of the Smithsonian Institution [1]
2017 Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, Sen. Chuck Schumer Salesian and cardinal of the Catholic Church from Honduras; New York state senator [2]
2018 Dennis Walcott President & CEO of the Queens Library and former New York City schools chancellor [3]
2019 Tim Shriver Disability rights activist and chairman of the Special Olympics [4]
2022 Calvin O. Butts American pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church [5]
2023 Stevie Wonder Singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer [6]
2024 Joseph P. Kennedy III United States special envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs [7]
2025 Regina Hall Actress [8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by "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.
  8. ^ Williamson, Alex (March 25, 2025). "Actress Regina Hall to Deliver Commencement Address". Fordham Now. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
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