Past Ceremonies
Past Commencement Speakers
Edward C. Cushman
June 1, 1968
Nathaniel Stetson
June 1, 1969
Hon. William Jennings Bryan Dorn
June 6, 1970
Hon. Donald S. Russell
June 5, 1971
Dr. James A. Morris
May 13. 1972
Michael L. Laughlin
May 13, 1973
Dr. Leon M. Lessinger
May 12, 1974
Col. James Quincy Collins
May 11, 1975
Charles D. (Pug) Ravenel
May 8, 1976
Robert E. Penland
May 7, 1977
Robert P. Timmerman
May 13, 1978
Dr. Earl J. McGrath
May 12, 1979
Earle E. Morris, Jr.
May 18, 1980
T. Eston Marchant, Jr.
May 16, 1981
Dr. Henry J. Cauthen
May 15, 1982
Nancy Stevenson
May 14, 1983
G. F. Curtin
May 10, 1984
Sec. William Brock, III
May 10, 1985
Edwin Meese, III
May 8, 1986
Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler
May 7, 1987
Edward MacDonald Carey
May 18, 1988
Dr. Ruth Patrick
May 11, 1989
Hon. William H. Gray, III
May 10, 1990
John H. Sununu
May 9, 1991
Joel A. Smith, III
May 7, 1992
Hon. Thomas L. Moore
Dec. 7, 1992
Bettis C. Rainsford
May 13, 1993
Hon. Butler C. Derrick
Dec. 16, 1993
Lawrence M. Gressette, Jr.
May 12, 1994
Lindsey Graham
Dec. 15, 1994
Alan B. Miller
May 11, 1995
Dr. Brian K. Fitzgerald
Dec. 14, 1995
Robert B. Pamplin, Jr.
May 7, 1996
Richard Ekstrom
Dec. 11, 1996
Stephen Felker
May 8, 1997
Dr. Rayburn Barton
Dec. 11, 1997
Thomas C. Johnstone
May 7, 1998
Inez Tenenbaum
Dec. 17, 1998
Dennis R. Washington
May 6, 1999
Frankie H. Cubbedge
Dec. 16, 1999
Dr. Robert E. Alexander
May 4, 2000
Dalton B. Floyd, Jr.
Dec. 14, 2000
Ambrose L. Schwallie
May 10, 2001
Dr. Blanche Premo-Hopkins
Dec. 13, 2001
Dr. John M. Palms
May 9, 2002
Gasper L. Toole, III
Dec. 12, 2002
Mark B. Templeton
May 8, 2003
H. James Dallas
Dec. 8, 2003
Dr. Jerome D. Odom
May 6, 2004
Rob Matwick
Dec. 16, 2004
Lew Perkins
May 5, 2005
Dr. Jennifer Walker
Dec. 15, 2005
Stephen Grant Hanks
May 4, 2006
Margo M. Gore
Dec. 14, 2006
Dr. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri
May 10, 2007
Ombra Starr Sandifer
Dec. 13, 2007
Mark Alan Emkes
May 8, 2008
Dr. Craig M. Wheeland
Dec. 11, 2008
June Hodges Murff
May 7, 2009
Gerald A. Maree
Dec. 10, 2009
Dr. Nils Juan Diaz
May 6, 2010
Roberto Clifton Webb
Dec. 9, 2010
Kenneth Bryan Wingate
May 5, 2011
Jeffrey B. Wallace
Dec. 8, 2011
Dr. Thomas L. Hallman
May 3, 2012
Charles D. Barranco
Dec. 13, 2012
Martin M. Koffel
May 9, 2013
Timothy M. Hofferth
Dec. 12, 2013
W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell
May 8, 2014
Kevin Coleman
Dec. 11, 2014
Kenneth W. Starr
May 6, 2015
Leon Lott
Dec. 10, 2015
Dr. Carol Ann Johnson
May 4, 2016
Dr. Lisa T. Williams
Dec. 8, 2016
Dr. Monica Regalbuto
May 3, 2017
Kelley Cornish
Dec. 14, 2017
Vice Admiral Charles L. Munns
May 9, 2018
Antonio D. Evans
Dec. 13, 2018
Dr. Harris Pastides
May 8, 2019
Amanda F. Whittle
Dec. 12, 2019
Dr. Jason Holt
Nov. 20, 2020
Dr. Belle S. Wheelan
May 5, 2021
Captain Isaiah Hines USAF
Dec. 9, 2021
James A. Bennett
May 4, 2022
Lisa Tharp-Bernard
Dec. 8, 2022
Dr. Vahid Majidi
May 3, 2023
Dr. Brandon Baskett
Dec. 14, 2023
Senator A. Shane Massey
May 1, 2024
Past Honorary Degree Recipients
Robert Phinizy Timmerman
May 13, 1978
Dr. Earl J. McGrath
May 12,1979
Earle E. Morris, Jr.
May 18, 1980
T. Eston Marchant, Jr.
May 16, 1981
Robert Earle Penland
May 15, 1982
Charles E. Simons, Jr.
May 10, 1984
G.F. Curtin
May 10, 1984
Edwin Meese III
May 8, 1986
Seymour H. Knox
May 8, 1986
John S. Herrington
Oct. 26, 1986
Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler
May 7, 1987
Edward MacDonald Carey
May 18, 1988
Dr. Ruth Patrick
May 11, 1989
The Hon. William H. Gray III
May 10, 1990
Walter F. O’Connell
May 10, 1990
Ida Crawford Stewart
May 10, 1990
John H. Sununu
May 9, 1991
Gasper L. Toole, III
May 9, 1991
Joel A. Smith, III
May 7, 1992
Harry Odell Weeks
May 7, 1992
Mr. Bettis C. Rainsford
May 13, 1993
Lawrence M. Gressette Jr.
May 12, 1994
Mr. Alan B. Miller
May 11, 1995
Harry Jacobs
May 11, 1995
Robert B. Pamplin, Jr.
May 7, 1996
Stephen Felker
May 8, 1997
Thomas C. Johnstone
May 7, 1998
Steven W. Naifeh
May 7, 1998
Gregory W. Smith
May 7, 1998
Mr. Dennis R. Washington
May 6, 1999
Senator Tommy Moore
May 6, 1999
Clifton Weeks
May 6, 1999
Weldon E. Wyatt
May 4, 2000
Lewis E. Brown
May 4, 2000
Nathaniel Stetson
May 4, 2000
Ambrose L. Schwallie
May 10, 2001
Mr. Mark B. Templeton
May 8, 2003
Livio Orazio Valentini
May 8, 2003
Mr. Lew Perkins
May 5, 2005
Miriam L. Woodring
May 5, 2005
Mr. Stephen Grant Hanks
May 4, 2006
Mr. Thomas Richard Herold
May 4, 2006
Dr. Bassam Z. Shakhashiri
May 10, 2007
Belton Henderson Johnson Jr.
May 8, 2008
Mark Alan Emkes
May 8, 2008
Frampton Wyman Toole Jr.
May 8, 2008
Mrs. June Hodges Murff
May 7, 2009
Dr. Nils Juan Diaz
May 6, 2010
Mr. Timothy William Simmons
May 5, 2011
Mr. Eugene Scott Sawyer
May 5, 2011
Irene Krugman Rudnick
May 3, 2012
Mr. Martin M. Koffel
May 9, 2013
Mr. W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell
May 8, 2014
Dr. Carol Ann Johnson
May 4, 2016
Dr. Monica Regalbuto
May 3, 2017
Admiral Charles L. Munns
May 9, 2018
Mr. Ernest R. Allen
May 9, 2018
William Tucker
May 5, 2021