Virginia Tech commencement speakers

Each year, Virginia Tech holds commencement ceremonies at the end of the academic year in May, as well as at the end of the Fall semester in December. Since 1990, a separate Graduate School Commencement Ceremony has been held to confer degrees to master's and doctoral students. Fall commencement is held in Cassell Coliseum, and Spring Commencement is held in Lane Stadium.

University Commencement Speakers
Academic Year Semester Speaker(s) Degrees Conferred
1958 - 59 Spring John N. Thomas, professor of systematic theology, Union Theological Seminary All
1959 - 60 Spring Albertis Harrison, 28th Attorney General of Virginia All
1960 - 61 Spring John M. Devine, commandant of cadets, Virginia Tech All
1961 - 62 Spring Colgate W. Darden, former governor, Commonwealth of Virginia All
1962 - 63 Spring Mills Godwin, 28th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia All
1963 - 64 Spring J. G. Farrar, president, Rockefeller Foundation All
1964 - 65 Spring Albertis Harrison, 59th Governor of Virginia All
1965 - 66 Spring Dr. T. Marshall Hahn, president, Virginia Tech All
1966 - 67 Spring Mills Godwin, 60th Governor of Virginia All
1967 - 68 Spring Dr. T. Marshall Hahn, president, Virginia Tech All
1968 - 69 Spring Warren W. Brandt, president of Virginia Commonwealth University and former executive vice president, Virginia Tech All
1969 - 70 Spring Dr. T. Marshall Hahn, president, Virginia Tech All
1970 - 71 Spring Linwood Holton, 61st Governor of Virginia All
1971 - 72 Spring David Brinkley, NBC news correspondent All
1972 - 73 Spring Bill Moyers, former White House Press Secretary to President Lyndon B. Johnson All
1973 - 74 Spring G. Burke Johnston, C. P. Miles Professor of English, Virginia Tech All
1974 - 75 Spring Sam J. Ervin, former U.S. Senator from North Carolina All
1975 - 76 Spring E. F. Shannon, former president, University of Virginia All
1976 - 77 Spring Milton Friedman, recipient of the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences All
1977 - 78 Spring John N. Dalton, 63rd Governor of Virginia All
1978 - 79 Spring Eric Sevareid, correspondent, CBS News All
1979 - 80 Spring Dr. Jean L. Harris, 2nd Virginia Secretary of Human Resources All
1980 - 81 Spring Dr. William Edward Lavery, president, Virginia Tech All
1981 - 82 Spring Christopher C. Kraft Jr. '44, director, NASA Johnson Space Center All
1982 - 83 Spring Clifton C. Garvin Jr. '43, chairman of the board, Exxon Corp. All
1983 - 84 Spring Chuck Robb, 64th Governor of Virginia All
1984 - 85 Spring Alexander F. Giacco, rector, Virginia Tech Board of Visitors and chairman of the board, Hercules Inc. All
1985 - 86 Spring Neil Armstrong, astronaut, first person to step on the Moon All
1986 - 87 Spring Gerald Baliles, 65th Governor of Virginia All
1987 - 88 Spring David Roselle, president, University of Kentucky All
1988 - 89 Spring Mary Sue Terry, 38th Attorney General of Virginia All
1989 - 90 Spring Douglas Wilder, 66th Governor of Virginia Undergraduate
1990 - 91 Fall Mark O. Hatfield, U.S. Senator from Oregon Undergraduate
Spring Sheikh Saud Nasir Al-Sabah, Kuwaiti ambassador to the US Undergraduate
1991 - 92 Fall W. Ann Reynolds, chancellor, City University of New York Undergraduate
Spring Jack Nelson, Washington Bureau chief, Los Angeles Times Undergraduate
1992 - 93 Fall Samuel D. Proctor, professor emeritus, Rutgers University and pastor emeritus, Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York Undergraduate
Spring Dr. John Ashworth, director, London School of Economics and Political Science Undergraduate
1993 - 94 Fall John Kelly, registrar (provost), University College Dublin (Ireland) Undergraduate
Spring George Allen, 67th Governor of Virginia Undergraduate
1994 - 95 Fall Paul Antonie "Tony" Distler, Alumni Distinguished Professor and director of the Division of Performing Arts, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Beverly H. Sgro, 8th Virginia Secretary of Education and former dean of students, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
1995 - 96 Fall Dr. James I. Robertson Jr., Alumni Distinguished Professor of history, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring John Wilson, retired president, Washington and Lee University Undergraduate
1996 - 97 Fall Lucinda Roy, Gloria D. Smith Professor of Black Studies, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Raymond J. Lane, president and chief operating officer, Oracle Corporation Undergraduate
1997 - 98 Fall Charles "Jack" Dudley, director, University Honors Program, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Jim Gilmore, 68th Governor of Virginia Undergraduate
1998 - 99 Fall James R. Craig, professor of geological sciences, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Dr. Eric Schmidt, chairman and chief executive officer, Novell Inc. Undergraduate
1999 - 2000 Fall Dr. Paul Torgersen, president and John W. Hancock Jr. Chair of Engineering, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring John Warner, U.S. Senator from Virginia Undergraduate
2000 - 01 Fall Arthur L. Buikema Jr., Alumni Distinguished Professor, Department of Biology, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Rick Boucher, U.S. Representative, Virginia's 9th congressional district Undergraduate
2001 - 02 Fall Dr. Charles J. Dudley, professor of sociology and director of the University Honors Program, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Mark Warner, 69th Governor of Virginia Undergraduate
2002 - 03 Fall Dr. L.A. "Andy" Swiger, dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Leroy R. Hassell Sr., chief justice, Supreme Court of Virginia Undergraduate
2003 - 04 Fall Dr. Ezra A. "Bud" Brown, professor of mathematics, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Pierre Thomas '84, justice correspondent, ABC News Undergraduate
2004 - 05 Fall Dr. Diane Zahm, associate professor of urban affairs and planning in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Dave Calhoun '79, president and chief executive officer, GE Transportation Systems Undergraduate
2005 - 06 Fall Minnis E. Ridenour, former executive vice president and chief operating officer at Virginia Tech and Senior Fellow and director of the Office of Government and Non-Profit Organization Management, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Tim Kaine, 70th Governor of Virginia Undergraduate
2006 - 07 Fall Henry J. Dekker '47, former president of North American operations, Louis Féraud, past member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors Undergraduate
Spring Gen. John Abizaid, U.S. Army (ret.), former Commander of the United States Central Command Undergraduate
2007 - 08 Fall E. Scott Geller, Alumni Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Applied Behavior Systems in the Department of Psychology in the College of Science Undergraduate
Spring Hoda Kotb '86, Dateline NBC correspondent, co-anchor of NBC's Today show
2008 - 09 Fall Dr. Gary Downey, Alumni Distinguished Professor of science and technology studies Undergraduate
Spring Gen. Lance L. Smith '69, U.S. Air Force (ret.), former NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation[1] Undergraduate
2009 - 10 Fall Dr. Rosemary Blieszner, Alumni Distinguished Professor of human development/associate dean, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Bob McDonnell, 71st Governor of Virginia[2] Undergraduate
2010 - 11 Fall Dr. Jacqueline Bixler, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Spanish, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Kenneth Feinberg, administrator of the 9/11 Victims Fund[3] Undergraduate
2011 - 12 Fall Dr. Edward F. D. Spencer, former vice president for student affairs, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
Spring Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States, and Mark Warner, U.S. Senator from Virginia Undergraduate
2012 - 13 Fall Dr. Annie Hesp, professor of Spanish, Virginia Tech[4] Undergraduate
Spring Dr. Charles Steger '69, president, Virginia Tech Undergraduate
2013 - 14 Fall Dr. Gerhardt Schurig, professor of biomedical sciences/dean, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine[5] Undergraduate
Spring Terry McAuliffe, 72nd Governor of Virginia Undergraduate
2014 - 15 Fall Dr. Thomas M. Gardner, Alumni Distinguished Professor of English, Virginia Tech[6] Undergraduate
Spring Dr. Eric Schmidt, executive chairman, Google Undergraduate
2015 - 16 Fall Tom Tillar '69, vice president for alumni relations, Virginia Tech[7] Undergraduate
Spring Dr. Marc Edwards and Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, lead researchers in the Flint, Michigan water crisis Undergraduate
2016 - 17 Fall Ben Davenport Jr. '64, chairman of Davenport Energy, former member/rector of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors[8] Undergraduate
Spring Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer, Facebook[9] Undergraduate
2017 - 18 Fall Dr. Art Keown, Alumni Distinguished Professor and the R. B. Pamplin Professor of Finance, Virginia Tech[10] Undergraduate
Spring Ralph Northam, 73rd Governor of Virginia[11] Undergraduate
2018 - 19 Fall Josiah Showalter Jr. '84, chief judge, Virginia's 27th judicial circuit[12] Undergraduate
Fall Dr. William Hopkins, professor of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech Graduate
Spring Frank Beamer '69, former head coach, Virginia Tech Hokies football[13] Undergraduate
Spring Melody Barnes, co-director, U.Va. Democracy Initiative and former director, U.S. Domestic Policy Council Graduate
2019 - 20 Fall Dr. John Seiler '84, the Hon. and Mrs. Shelton H. Short Jr. Professor of Forestry, Virginia Tech[14] Undergraduate
Fall Patricia Raun, director of the Center for Communicating Science and professor of Theatre Arts, Virginia Tech Graduate
Spring Camille Schrier '18, Miss America 2020, Bud Foster, former defensive coordinator, Virginia Tech Hokies football, and Nikki Giovanni, University Distinguished Professor of English, Virginia Tech All
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References
  • "University Commencement Speakers (1959 to 2008)". Virginia Tech News Service. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008.
  1. "Virginia Tech names retired Air Force general as commencement speaker". April 2, 2009.
  2. "Va. Tech graduates urged to 'work hard, dream big'". Roanoke Times.
  3. "2011 Commencement Speaker". Virginia Tech News Service.
  4. "Annie Hesp, Kirk and Noel Schulz to address graduates at 2012 Fall Commencement ceremonies". www.vtnews.vt.edu. November 26, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  5. "Previous speakers".
  6. "Dennis R. Dean, Thomas M. Gardner to deliver 2014 fall commencement addresses". www.vtnews.vt.edu. December 1, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  7. "Karen Roberto, Tom Tillar to deliver 2015 fall commencement addresses". www.vtnews.vt.edu. November 23, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  8. "Ben Davenport Jr., Andy Morikawa to deliver 2016 fall commencement addresses". www.vtnews.vt.edu. November 30, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  9. "Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to deliver 2017 Virginia Tech University Commencement address". www.vtnews.vt.edu. March 2, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  10. "Fall commencement scheduled for Dec. 21". www.vtnews.vt.edu. November 22, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  11. "Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to deliver 2018 University Commencement address". www.vtnews.vt.edu. February 23, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  12. "Fall commencement scheduled for Dec. 14". www.vtnews.vt.edu. November 21, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  13. "Speakers announced for May commencement ceremonies". www.vtnews.vt.edu. March 29, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  14. "Virginia Tech faculty chosen to deliver commencement keynote speeches". www.vtnews.vt.edu. December 1, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
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