The following is a list of the distinguished men and women whom we have been privileged to have speak at Commencement and upon whom we have conferred honorary degrees.
| Year | Speaker, Charge and/or Honorary Degree Recipient |
|---|---|
| 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 | Presidential 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, Fellow 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 | Ronn Carroll, Commencement Speaker Andrew Megill, Charge to the Graduating Class Donald E. Allured, Doctor of Music |
| 2008 | John Walker, Commencement Speaker Nova Thomas, Charge to the Graduating Class |
| 2009 | Nigel Redden, Commencement Speaker Daniel Beckwith, Charge to the Graduating Class |
| 2010 | David Robertson, Commencement Speaker Christian Carey, Charge to the Graduating Class David Robertson, Doctor of Music Albert McNeil, Doctor of Music |
| 2011 | Diana Crane, Charge to the Graduating Class Stephen Paulus, Commencement Speaker Stephen Paulus, Doctor of Music |
| 2012 | Ken Cowan, Charge to the Graduating Class Morten Lauridsen, Commencement Speaker Morten Lauridsen, Doctor of Music Dalton Baldwin, Fellow of Westminster Choir College |
| 2013 | Paul Plishka, Commencement Speaker James Jordan, Charge to the Graduating Class Paul Plishka, Doctor of Music |
| 2014 | Clive Gillinson, Commencement Speaker Amanda Quist, Charge to the Graduating Class Joseph Flummerfelt, Doctor of Music Clive Gillinson, Doctor of Humanities |
| 2015 | Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Commencement Speaker Christopher Botti, Charge to the Graduating Class Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Doctor of Music |
| 2016 | Alan Gilbert, Commencement Speaker Stefan Young, Charge to the Graduating Class Alan Gilbert, Doctor of Music |
| 2017 | Joseph Flummerfelt, Commencement Speaker Steven Pilkington, Charge to the Graduating Class |
| 2018 | Allison Vulgamore, Commencement Speaker Joe Miller, Charge to the Graduating Classes Allison Vulgamore, Doctor of Humanities |
| 2019 | Donald Nally, Commencement Speaker James Goldsworthy, Charge to the Graduating Class Donald Nally, Doctor of Humanities |
| 2021 | Joel Phillips, Charge to the Graduating Class |
| 2020 /2022 | Ann Meier Baker, Commencement Speaker Tom Shelton, Charge to the Graduating Class Ann Meier Baker, Honorary Doctor of Humanities |