Speakers, Charges and Honorary Degrees

The following is a list of the distinguished men and women whom we have been privileged to have speak at Commencement and upon we have conferred honorary degrees.

 

1933 Dr. John Finley Williamson, Commencement Speaker
 
1934 Dr. John Finley Williamson, Commencement Speaker
 
1935  Dr. John Finley Williamson, Commencement Speaker and Charge to the Graduating Class
 
1936 Dr. John Erskine, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1937  The Rev. Joseph Richard Sizoo, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1939   The Rev. Charles Clayton Morrison, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1940 The Rev. Daniel Poling, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1941   The Rev. Ralph W. Sockman, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1942 The Honorable Harold B. Wells, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1943 Dr. James Francis Cooke, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1944 The Rev. Peter Marshall, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1945  The Rev. W. Edward Jordan, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1946  George F. Thomas, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Gradating Class
 
1947  The Rev. Peter Marshall, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1948  The Rev. Daniel A. Poling, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1949 The Rev. Clarence W. Cranford, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1950  The Rev. Charles R. Erdman, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1951  Elmer G. Homrighausen, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1952  The Rev. Daniel A. Poling, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1953 The Rev. Clarence W. Cranford, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1954 The Rev. C. Ralston Smith, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1955  The Honorable Harold E. Talbott, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1956 Andrew W. Mutch, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1957  Dean Ernest P. Gordon, Commencement Speaker
John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1958  Mark R. Thompson, Commencement Speaker
Dr. John Finley Williamson, Charge to Graduating Class 
 
1959  D. Elton Trueblood, Commencement Speaker
Rev. William F. MacCalmont, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1960  The Rev. Franklin Clark Fry, Commencement Speaker
Rev. William F. MacCalmont, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1961  The Rev. C. Ralston Smith, Commencement Speaker
Rev. William F. MacCalmont, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1962 The Rev. Albert C. Outler, Commencement Speaker
Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Charge to Graduating Class

Mary T. Krimmel, Master of Humane Letters
LoRean D. Hodapp, Master of Humane Letters
1963  The Rev. Charles C. Noble, Commencement Speaker
Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Charge to Graduating Class

Leopold Stokowski, Doctor of Fine Arts
1964  Roy Harris, Commencement Speaker
Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Charge to Graduating Class

Roy Harris, Doctor of Fine Arts
1965  Alec Wyton, Commencement Speaker
Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Charge to Graduating Class

Alexander McCurdy, Doctor of Fine Arts
Wilfred C. Bain, Doctor of Fine Arts
1966  Howard Hanson, Commencement Speaker
Leonard Bernstein, Charge to Graduating Class

Robert Stevens Baker, Doctor of Fine Arts
Leonard Bernstein, Doctor of Humanities
1967 The Rev. Theodore Parker Ferris, Commencement Speaker
Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Charge to Graduating Class

James Bernard Wallace, Doctor of Fine Arts
Donald Trowbridge Bryant, Doctor of Music
Theodore Parker Ferris, Doctor of Music
1968 Dorothy Maynor Rooks, Commencement Speaker
Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Charge to Graduating Class

Dorothy Maynor Rooks, Doctor of Fine Arts
William Steinberg, Doctor of Fine Arts
Paul Boepple, Doctor of Music
Kenneth Chorley, Doctor of Humanities
The Rev. Albert Frederick Bayly, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
Arnold Kunrad Kvam, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
Jack Noble White, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1969  Sir Arthur Bliss, Commencement Speaker
Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Charge to Graduating Class

Clarence Snyder, Doctor of Letters
John Albert Davis, Jr., Doctor of Letters
Francis Arthur Robinson, Doctor of Letters
Sir Arthur Bliss, Doctor of Fine Arts
Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Doctor of Fine Arts
Peggy Wood Walling, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1970  Presidental Inauguration

Dr. J. Merrill Knapp, Doctor of Music
Dr. Malcolm Williamson, Doctor of Music

Paul Hume, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Ronald Arnatt, Doctor of Music
Richard Feliciano, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1971 George Lynn, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Charles Hirt, Doctor of Fine Arts
Malcolm Williamson, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
Erik Routley, Feloow of Westminster Choir College
1972  Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr., Commencement Speaker
Roger Wagner, Charge to Graduating Class

Roger Wagner, Doctor of Fine Arts
1973 Elaine Brown, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Carl Weinrich, Doctor of Music
1974  Elizabeth B. Ford, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Arthur Mahlon Byers, Jr., Doctor of Divinity
1975  Robert Shaw, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class
Robert Shaw, Doctor of Humanities
 
1976  Bob Hope, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Bob Hope, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
 
1977  Howard Swan, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Howard Swan, Doctor of Humanities
1978  Wilfred C. Bain, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Wilhelm Ehmann, Doctor of Music
1979 Daniel Pinkham, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Daniel Pinkham, Doctor of Music
Robert Dean Simpson, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1980  Sir David Willcocks, Commencement Speaker
Charles Schisler, Charge to Graduating Class

Sir David Willcocks, Doctor of Music
John Rutter, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1981  Sherrill Milnes, Commencement Speaker
Gian Carlo Menotti, Charge to Graduating Class

Gian Carlo Menotti, Doctor of Music
Sherrill Milnes, Doctor of Music
Ma Ge Shun, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1982  Zubin Mehta, Commencement Speaker
Joseph Flummerfelt, Charge to Graduating Class

Zubin Mehta, Doctor of Music
William T. Renneckar, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1983  Gilbert E. Kaplan, Commencement Speaker
Helen Kemp, Charge to Graduating Class

Gilbert E. Kaplan, Doctor of Humanities
1984  Kathleen D. Battle, Commencement Speaker
Ray Robinson, Charge to Graduating Class

Kathleen D. Battle, Doctor of Music
1985  Riccardo Muti, Commencement Speaker
Elly Ameling, Charge to Graduating Class

Riccardo Muti Doctor of Music
Elly Ameling, Doctor of Music
William H. Scheide, Doctor of Humanities
1986 Robert Shaw, Commencement Speaker
Frauke Haasemann, Charge to Graduating Class

Tatsusaburo Nishimura, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1987  Ernest LeRoy Boyer, Commencement Speaker
William James Mathias, Charge to Graduating Class

Helen Hubbert Kemp, Doctor of Music
William James Mathias, Doctor of Music
Ernest LeRoy Boyer, Doctor of Humanities
Dr. Ray Robinson, Doctor of Human Letters
1988  William S. Fuller, Commencement Speaker
Glenn Parker, Charge to Graduating Class

Elaine Brown, Doctor of Music
Charles Schisler, Doctor of Fine Arts
1989  Joseph Flummerfelt, Commencement Speaker
Donna Plasket, Charge to Graduating Class

Margaret Harshaw, Doctor of Music
Koichi Matsuda, Fellow of Westminster Choir College
1990  George Gallup, Commencement Speaker
William Dalglish, Charge to Graduating Class
 
1991 

Hugh Wolff, Commencement Speaker
Frauke Haasemann/Brenda Smith, Charge to Graduating Class

Frauke Haasemann, Doctor of Music (awarded 3/13/91)
Keith Spalding, Doctor of Humanities
Elsie Hilliard Hillman '48, Doctor of Humanities
1992  Kurt Masur, Commencement Speaker
Allen Crowell, Charge to Graduating Class

Kurt Masur, Doctor of Music
1993  Helen Kemp, Commencement Speaker
 
Joseph Flummerfelt, Charge to the Graduating Class
1994 Carlisle Floyd, Commencement Speaker
Lois Laverty, Charge to the Graduating Class

Martin Katz, Doctor of Music
1995  Katharine O'Neil-Bidwell, Commencement Speaker
Glenn Parker, Charge to the Graduating Class
 
1996  Wolfgang Sawallisch, Commencement Speaker
Diana Crane, Charge to the Graduating Class

Wolfgang Sawallisch, Doctor of Music
Alice Parker, Doctor of Music
1997  Sylvia McNair, Commencement Speaker
Michael Litchman, Charge to the Graduating Class

Sylvia McNair, Doctor of Music
Frances Clark, Doctor of Music
1998  John Wesley Cook, Commencement Speaker
Stefan Young, Charge to the Graduating Class

John Bertalot, Doctor of Music
Zdenek Macal, Doctor of Music
1999  Fred McFeeley Rogers, Commencement Speaker
Joel Phillips, Charge to the Graduating Class

John Corigliano, Doctor of Music
Fred McFeeley Rogers, Doctor of Humanities
2000 Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Commencement Speaker
Anthony Jay Kosar, Charge to the Graduating Class

Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Doctor of Humanities
Louise Goss, Doctor of Music
2001  Martin E. Marty, Commencement Speaker
Andrew Megill, Charge to the Graduating Class

Martin E. Marty, Doctor of Humanities
James H. Litton, Doctor of Music
Joan Hult Lippincott, Doctor of Music
2002  Shirley Tilghman, Commencement Speaker
Joseph Flummerfelt, Charge to the Graduating Class
  
Shirley Tilghman, Doctor of Laws
George H. Shorney, Doctor of Humanities
 
2003 Robert Pace, Commencement Speaker
Jay A. Kawarsky, Charge to the Graduating Class

Robert Pace, Doctor of Music
Marion Buckelew Cullen, Doctor of Humanities
2004  The Reverend Peter J. Gomes, Commencement Speaker
Joseph Flummerfelt, Charge to the Graduating Class

Peter J. Gomes, Doctor of Music
Bonita Valente, Doctor of Music
2005  Jennifer Larmore, Commencement Speaker
Nancianne Parrella, Charge to the Graduating Class

Jennifer Larmore, Doctor of Music
Weston Noble, Doctor of Music
2006

Anthony Tommasini, Commencement Speaker
Sun Min Lee, Charge to the Graduating Class

Allen Crowell, Doctor of Music

2007

 



2008



2009




2010

Ronn Carroll, Commencement Speaker
Andrew Megill, Charge to the Graduating Class

Donald E. Allured, Doctor of Music


John Walker, Commencement Speaker
Nova Thomas, Charge to the Graduating Class


Nigel Redden, Commencement Speaker
Daniel Beckwith, Charge to the Graduating Class


David Robertson, Commencment Speaker
Christian Carey, Charge to the Graduating Class

David Robertson, Doctor of Music
Albert McNeil, Doctor of Music