Past Speakers
Past Commencement Speakers
| 2012 | The Honorable Barry T. Albin, Associate Justice, NJ Supreme Court |
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| 2011 | Shirley Ann Jackson, President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| 2010 | Michael Lewis, Author |
| 2009 | Gerald Stern, Poet |
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| 2008 | Cory Booker, Mayor of the City of Newark, New Jersey |
| 2007 | The Honorable Richard Codey, President New Jersey Senate |
| 2006 | Candy Crowley, senior political correspondent, CNN |
| 2005 | Thomas H. Kean, president of Drew University |
| 2004 | Shirley Tilghman, president of Princeton University |
| 2003 | Governor James E. McGreevey |
| 2002 | Bill Cosby, actor |
| 2001 | Richard Holbrooke, Former Ambassador to U.N. |
| 2000 | Bill Richardson, U.S. Secretary of Energy |
| 1999 | Christopher Reeve, actor |
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| 1998 | James Earl Jones, actor |
| 1997 | Governor Christine Todd Whitman |
| 1996 | First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton |
| 1995 | Andrew Shue, Do Something Wendy Kopp, Teach for America |
| 1994 | Mario Cuomo |
| 1993 | Olympia Dukakis, actress |
| 1992 | David Halberstam, author |
| 1991 | Thomas Pickering, UN Ambassador |
| 1990 | George Romney, former Gov. of Michigan |
| 1989 | Arno Penzias |
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| 1988 | Rosalyn Yalow |
| 1987 | John Amos, actor |
| 1986 | Richard Reeves, journalist |
| 1985 | Bill Bradley, US Senator |
| 1984 | John Brademas, President of NYU |
| 1983 | Marie L. Garibaldi, New Jersey Supreme Court Justice |
| 1982 | Thomas H. Kean, Governor of New Jersey |
| 1981 | Dr. William O. Baker, Chairman (ret) Bell Laboratories |
| 1980 | Eudora Welty, Novelist, Pulitzer Prize winner |
| 1979 | Alan Alda, actor |
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| 1978 | Jean Rey, Ministre d’Etat, Belgium |
| 1977 | Jennifer E. Beaver, BA 1977, representing all of the schools |
| 1976 | Millicent Fenwick, Congresswoman, Fifth District of NJ |
| 1975 | Kenneth E. Grebenstein, SGA president, representing all schools |
| 1974 | Terry Sanford, President of Duke University |
| 1973 | William Pearson Tolley, Chancellor emeritus, Syracuse University |
| 1972 | Otto Klineberg, Director of the International Center for Intergroup Relations |
| 1971 | James E. Cheek, President of Howard University |
| 1970 | William R. Keast, President of Wayne State Universitiy |
| 1969 | Louis T. Benezet, President of Claremont University Center |
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| 1968 | Sharvy G. Umbeck, Chairman American Council on Education |
| 1967 | Erwin D. Canham, Editor in Chief, Christian Science Monitor |
| 1966 | Harry D. Gideonse, President Brooklyn College, CUNY |
| 1965 | Harrison E. Salisbury, Asst Managing Editor, NY Times |
| 1964 | Robert Fisher Oxnam, President of Drew University |
| 1963 | Robert Fisher Oxnam, President of Drew University |
| 1962 | Robert Fisher Oxnam, President of Drew University |
| 1961 | Robert Fisher Oxnam, President of Drew University |
| 1960 | Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator, NASA |
| 1959 | Fred G. Holloway, President of Drew University |
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| 1958 | Charles C. Parlin |
| 1957 | C. Douglas Dillon, Deputy Under Secretary of State |
| 1956 | Fred G. Holloway, President of Drew University |
| 1955 | Fred G. Holloway, President of Drew University |
| 1954 | Fred G. Holloway, President of Drew University |
| 1953 | Fred G. Holloway, President of Drew University |
| 1952 | Fred G. Holloway, President of Drew University |
| 1951 | Arolo Ayres Brown, President Emeritus, Drew University |
| 1950 | Rev. Donald B. Aldrich, Dean of the Chapel, Princeton University |
2013 Speaker and Honorary Degree Nominations
2013 Speaker & Honorary Degree Nominations
The Honorary Degrees Committee has begun the selection process for the 2013 commencement speaker and honorary degree recipients. The University endeavors to identify men and women who have made outstanding contributions to society and whose character and actions represent those of the University community. It is hoped that those chosen as commencement speaker and honorary degree recipients will serve as an inspiration and role model to members of the graduating class, exemplify the utility of a liberal arts education, and leave graduates with a message that resonates with them beyond their last moment as students. Specifically, the committee also endeavors to recognize individual creativity, distinguished service, significant scholarship and extraordinary accomplishments in the arts, humanities, sciences, the professions or in service to mankind.
In making its decisions regarding candidacy, the committee takes into account the diversity of the pool. Candidates must not have received an honorary degree from the University previously, and we give special attention to individuals who have had a relationship to Drew.