Commencement Speakers

Commencement videos are also available in Digital Commons.  The text of some Commencement speeches may be available in the SJU Archives.

NOTE: Having a commencement speaker, as we know the ceremony, was not always the custom. Apparently it became the custom at SJU in 1882, 25 years after its 1857 founding.

Year Guest Speaker Student Speakers B.A./B.S. Degrees*
2024 Paul Williams Jackson May 355
2023 Kurt Vickman Durran Thompson 332
2022 Abbot John Klassen, OSB &
S. Michaela Hedican, OSB		 Jack Fogelberg 351
2021 General Paul Nakasone Simeon Farquharson 347
2020 (Fall) Eugene McAllister Owyn Ferguson 391
2019 Mark Vande Hei Luke Olley 398
2018 Denis McDonough Steven Bezdichek Pfahning 403
2017 Dan Whalen Ramond Mitchell 438
2016 Joe Cavanaugh Paul Knakk 394
2015 Dr. Robert H. Dumonceaux Luke Newgaard 434
2014 Kathleen Blatz, J.D. Michael Rogers 428
2013 Rev. Dennis Dease John Loonan 428
2012 Mr. John McCutcheon Ty Cox 435
2011 Dr. John Grim Thomas Loonan 476
2010 Rev. Edwin D. Leahy, O.S.B. Matthew Beck 446
2009 Dr. Sharon Daloz Parks Joe Kane 447
2008 Mr. William Green Thomas Connelly 469
2007 Mr. Bob Abernethy Paul E. Storm 417
2006 Dr. R. Scott Appleby Samuel Boggs 390
2005 Mr. Charles M. Denny, Jr. Andrew Dirksen 448
2004 Mr. Thomas Beaudoin Michael Marschel 511
2003 Mr. Ray Suarez James Mulrooney 424
2002 The Honorable Mark Kennedy Charles Berendes 414
2001 Fred de Sam Lazaro Joseph Tinguely 441
2000 Rev. William J. Byron, S.J. Kevin Clancy 383
1999 Prof. Michael Perry Michael Dirksen 408
1998 Dr. Evan Maurer Lance Bodeen 363
1997 The Honorable Guido Calabresi Philip Steger 338
1997 (December) Dr. Charles Bobertz 49
1996 Mr. Steven Rothschild Anthony Amelse 305
1996 (December) Ms. Betty Wolterman 56
1995 Mr. Stephen Sommers (audio) Joseph Flock (audio) 286
1995 (December) Mr. David Lyndgaard 59
1994 The Honorable Alan C. Page Ross Drever 306
1994 (December) Dr. Joseph Farry 72
1993 Mr. Colman McCarthy 356
1993 (December) Rev. Timothy Backous, O.S.B. 57
1992 Governor George A. Sinner Todd Boss and Denis McDonough 445
1991 Rev. Hilary D. Thimmesh, O.S.B. Christopher P. Diffley 434
1990 Ambassador Edward J. Perkins Scott C. LaBarre 405
1989 Mr. William F. Buckley, Jr. Michael A. Holscher 413
1988 Mr. Paul D. Schurke Michael J. Cronin 388
1987 Ms. Carolyn Forche Anthony Gabriel Amon 424
1986 Rev. David Burrell, C.S.C Frederick William Stein 415
1985 Dr. Esther de Waal Aaron H. Franta 441
1984 Mr. Garrison Keillor John P. Keane 397
1983 (audio) Senator David Durenberger Paul R. Linde 407
1982 (or audio) Mr. Jon Hassler Robert E. Culligan 400
1981 (audio) Dr. Harlan Cleveland 411
1980 Dr. Mortimer J. Adler 342
1979 Mr. Thomas F. Roeser
1978 Rev. Hilary D. Thimmesh, O.S.B.
1977 The Honorable Sam Ervin, Jr.
1976 (audio) Mr. Russell Baker
1975 (audio) Senator Hubert H. Humphrey
1974 Dr. Robert H. Dumonceaux
1973 Prof. Norman James
1972 Rev. John Howard, O.S.B.
1971 Dr. Dana L. Farnsworth, M.D.
1970 Rev. Andrew J. Young
1969 The Right Honorable Lord Caradon
1968 Dr. Eugene C. Blake
1967 Lady Barbara Ward Jackson
1966 Dr. Jaroslav J. Pelikan
1965 Rev. John Courtney Murray, S.J.
1964 Senator Eugene J. McCarthy
1963 (audio) The Most Reverend Paul Leonard Hagarty, O.S.B.
1962 (audio) Mr. Gerard E. Sherry
1961 Mr. Philip J. Scharper
1960 The Most Reverend Peter W. Bartholome
1959 Mr. John Cogley
1958 Dr. David A. Boyd, Jr., M.D.
1957 The Most Reverend Leo F. Dworschak
1956 The Most Reverend Archbishop John Gregory Murray
1955 Sister Madeleva, C.S.C.
1954 Rev. Philip Hughes Waldemar Wenner
1953 The Honorable Eugene J. McCarthy John Dunn
1952 Dr. Helen C. White Bertran Hartinger
1951 Rev. Hans A. Reinhold Dale M. Sauve
1950 Dr. Donald J. Cowling Gerald Scherer
1949 The Most Reverend Francis Schenk Will Theodore Gimenez
1948 Dr. Patrick A. Crowley John E. Simonett
1947 Dr. Laurence M. Gould Heinz B. Arnold
1946 Rev. Wilfred Mallon, S.J. Robert Hovda 
1945 Rev. J. Timothy Gannon Philip Wooby 
1944 Prof. James J. Doland Donald M. Berg
1943 The Honorable Lawrence M. Hall Edward William Arth
1942 The Most Reverend Peter W. Bartholome Donald H. Norman
1941 Rev. James H. Moynihan Bernard W. Lorenz
1940 Dr. Louis J.A. Mercier Philip D. Raths
1939 The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch Charles H. Hinz
1938 Dr. Mortimer J. Adler Austin M. McCarthy
1937 Dr. Martin Ruud Emerson Hynes
1936 Dr. Jerome G. Kirwin Edmund Piotrowski
1935 Mr. John J. Courtney James C. Coyne
1934 Dr. Richard E. Scammon Mathias A. Himsl
1933 Dr. William O'Brien, M.D. John J. Zaic
1932 The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch Edward J. Hennessy
1931 Rev. Leo Keaveny Fred Hughes
1930 Rev. Philip H. Kiley Aloys V. Himsl
1929 The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch Stephen B. Humphrey
1928 Abbot Alcuin Deutsch, O.S.B. Norvell Callaghan
1927 The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch
1926 The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch
1925 Abbot Alcuin Deutsch, O.S.B.
1924 The Honorable James Quigley
1923 James A. Garrity
1922 Charles E. Vasaly
1921 John Willis
1920 Rt. Rev. Joseph Busch, D.D.
1917 Most Rev. John Bonzano, D.D.
1914 Joseph Janousek, 1902
1912 John Willis
1910 Bishop Patrick Heffren, 1878
1909 Rev. George A. Arctander, 1888
1908 Rev. Daniel Lynch, 1886
1906 William Markoe, 1869
1905 John Ahmann, 1877
1904 Rev. L. J. Vaughan
1903 William Markoe, 1869
1898 Bishop Trobec
1895 Bishop Marty
1894 Governor Knute Nelson
1892 Judge D.B. Searle
1891 Hon. Frank E. Searle
1885 Hon. H.C. Waite
1884 J.W. Arctander
1882 Hon. H.C. Waite

*Statistics source: Registrar's Annual Report (total degrees conferred for that academic year)