Commencement Addresses Delivered by Incumbent U.S. Presidents, 1914-2010: A Historical Analysis

By Alexander E. Hopkins
2013, Vol. 5 No. 06 | pg. 1/10 |
Cite References Print
KEYWORDS:
Keywords:Commencement Address U.S. Presidency Political Communication Communication American Politics

Each year, thousands of colleges and universities across the United States hold commencement. This is a time when campus is in full bloom—manicured lawns, farewell hugs from classmates, and final exams. As the graduates march in unison to their seats, their colorful school robes flow gently amid the sea of flashing camera bulbs. Like a Hollywood premiere, the graduates are the stars whose years of hard work can finally be recognized by invited guests. Since a commencement is a significant investment in time and money, the ceremony is planned down to the last minute. In a sense, a commencement is similar to a play because it has several acts—student recognition, hooding of doctoral students and the distribution of diplomas (Magolda, 2003).

Since commencement is a significant milestone, the event is designed to capture many powerful emotions that contribute to lasting memories. One way a school can make commencement memorable is by selecting a speaker who will deliver meaningful epideictic oratory. Every year, universities invite some of the most well-known and accomplished public figures to speak on to their campuses. Nearly every profession is represented, including business executives, religious leaders and film celebrities. However, a small number of schools are selected to have the President of the United States speak at their commencement exercises. It is a prestigious honor for a school to host the President to speak on an unforgettable day for students and their families. The President alone commands significant ethos to speak at a school because, as a key figure that leads the U.S., they are well-aware of the current events that captures generational attention.

Every year, just before the Spring commencement season begins, the White House announces the President’s school selections. Some well-known schools—such as Harvard University and Dartmouth College—are not surprising. However, the choices of lesser-known universities—such as Liberty University and Calvin College —have surprised White House watchers. Although Presidents have traditionally remained tight-lipped regarding their choices, distinct patterns could shed light on why those schools stand-out.

In May 1982, Ronald Reagan delivered a commencement address to his alma mater, Eureka College. He succinctly defined the importance of the commencement when he remarked:

“Graduation Day is called ‘Commencement,’ and properly so, because it is both a recognition of completion and a beginning. And I would like, seriously, to talk to you about this new phase—the society in which you're now going to take your place as full-time participants. You're no longer observers. You'll be called upon to make decisions and express your views on global events, because those events will affect your lives” (Reagan, 1982).

Given that the President works around the clock to help run the country, taking time off from a busy schedule to speak rouses the public to attention. Behind-the-scenes, however, a President’s address at a particular university is by no means an accident because there are several key motives hidden from the eyes of the public. Their commencement speeches have incorporated thematic elements of historic significance in a student’s life, as well as optimism for their future based on past educational accomplishments. When U.S. Presidents speak at college commencements, they often employed unifying rhetoric to heal and maintain social divisions, promote the school’s image and build support for their policy agendas.

The President has commanded significant attention from people all over the globe when they take the podium. William K. Muir (1995), Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of California-Berkeley, notes the President’s far reaching influence when he writes:

The President occupies a uniquely prominent point in our bustling, cacophonous society. He can be heard by virtually every segment of our people. As president, he is empowered to speak. And his power to speak, unlike all the other powers he exercises, is an independent one. For the Constitution does not oblige him to share his podium with any other branch of government. His messages to the people do not have to be authorized by Congress, or upheld by the Supreme Court, or executed by the bureaucracy. He is free to use the rhetorical prominence of the presidency to clarify the ideas that animate his people and give purpose to their actions (Muir, 15).

It may seem unusual that, given the amount of planning invested into a formalized affair like commencement, that the President can speak candidly about issues that they feel are important. Unlike other formalized speaking venues, such as Congress or the White House, the President can take advantage of a less-formal location. Since a college commencement evokes themes of taking advantage of several moments in time—the past, present and future—young, traditionally-aged college students can be greatly influenced. Likewise, as time has progressed, the student audience has increased. In 1900, less than two percent of adults completed an undergraduate college degree. A century later, however, a quarter of all adults completed at least a bachelor’s degree (Rutherford, 586). Part of this accelerated rise in adult education—as well as regular Presidential commencement addresses—derives from the dramatic increase in college enrollment after World War II.

The United States has a long tradition celebrating the college commencement. The tradition goes back to 1642 at Harvard College—before the thirteen colonies of British North America declared independence (Martin, 512). However, the first college commencement was not delivered by a sitting U.S. President until Woodrow Wilson came to the U.S Naval Academy in 1914. However, due to interruptions caused by World War I and World War II, Presidential commencement addresses were not delivered on a regular basis until 1948. Since then, Presidents have delivered a total of 147 commencement addresses on dozens of college campuses nationwide. The vast majority of presidential commencement addresses will happen during the Spring commencement season, usually in May or June. However, this is not always the case, as a few presidents have given commencement addresses at the conclusion of the summer and fall semesters. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover each delivered only one college commencement speech, while Bill Clinton gave the most with 25. While there are several colleges that were only visited once, the most appearances have been at a string of national military academies—the U.S. Military, Coast Guard, Naval and Air Force Academies. The frequency of these venues is hardly surprising, since the U.S. President is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.

It is important to note that a President’s college commencement address is different than a President addressing a college. The distinction between the two is not always clear, as there are several similarities between them. Both are given public attention, especially with the presence of college administrators in full college regalia. While college addresses will include university administrators, they may not always include students. A college commencement address is different in that the speech is aimed specifically at students. Therefore administrators and students will always be present at a school’s commencement address. Unlike the open-ended themes of a college address, a college commencement address will always address a tenet concerning the ending academic year. Sample topics could include emotions when saying goodbye to classmates, acknowledging the end of one chapter in a student’s life or including a discussion on lessons learned for the future.

Both will speak on an important event that incorporates the school. For instance, President Calvin Coolidge’s itinerary from 1926 included several events commemorating the 150th anniversary of America’s independence. Tour stops included The College of William & Mary near the Battle of Yorktown, a speech near the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on July 5 and a speech commemorating the Battles of Trenton and Princeton near Princeton University on December 29.

These events, along with several others in 1926, never occurred during commencement season. Likewise, none of the speeches specifically addressed a common theme of commencement: living in the present moment, reflecting on past knowledge and using this wisdom to positively affect the future. These subtle details from Coolidge’s itinerary point to a larger difference between commencements and addresses in that a general college address can take place at any time.

 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Cite References Print

Suggested Reading from Inquiries Journal

Political Science » George W. Bush Presidency
Eight Years, Twelve Vetoes: Why President Bush Chose to Ignore his Veto Power
As one of the most important powers given to the president, one must ask why any would take such a powerful tool for granted. For five and a half years, however, President Bush failed to use the veto even once. Not until July 19, 2006 did he finally veto legislation, halting a congressional bill that would lift certain funding restrictions for embryonic stem-cell research.[2] This reluctance made President Bush the first president to go an entire... MORE»
Veto Power President Bush Vetoes The Veto Bush Presidency
Advertisement
Political Science » American Politics
Why Taking the White House Online Does Not Make It More Accessible To The Public
Much has been said in regards to Barack Obama’s revolutionary use of technology during both his 2008 and 2012 campaigns for President of the United States. Yet, during his administration, that groundbreaking tactic suddenly disappeared. In 2013, with the launch of the We The People website, the Obama administration focused... MORE»
Business & Communications » Science Communication
Weight of Evidence Reporting: Pragmatic Optimism or a Bad Idea?
While some believe that scientists should communicate their research apolitically in research journals, others believe that scientists should communicate to the media in order to bring awareness to their research topic. As a compromise to these two views, Professor Sharon Dunwoody proposed "weight of evidence" reporting to bridge... MORE»
Political Science » Political Theory
Populist Mobocracy, Fear, and Lies: The Politics of American Populism
American politics today operates in an arena where truth and objective reality are bent to the designs of particular interests, powerful people and commercial profiteers. All facts are questioned; the truth has purposes. Populist and nationalist waves are pulsing through many western democratic... MORE»
Submit to Inquiries Journal, Get a Decision in 10-Days

Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines.

Representing the work of students from hundreds of institutions around the globe, Inquiries Journal's large database of academic articles is completely free. Learn more | Blog | Submit

Follow IJ

Latest in History

Mughal Empire
2022, Vol. 14 No. 02
Imperial Mughal Literature: A Rich Source of Scientific Information
By Abhijit M. Bal
India was ruled by the Timurid-Mughal dynasty from 1526 to 1857. This period is mainly recognised for its art and architecture. The Timurid-Mughals also promoted knowledge and scholarship. Two of the Mughal emperors, Babur and Jahangir, wrote their... Read Article »
Mughal Empire History Of Science Mughal Literature South Asia
World War I
2022, Vol. 14 No. 02
Towards a New Consensus? The Post-Centenary Historiography on the Origins of World War I
By Arvand A.M. Fata
The causes of the First World War remains a historiographical topic of contention more than 100 years on from the start of the conflict. With the passing of the centenary in 2014, a new wave of publications has expanded the scope and depth of historians... Read Article »
First World War European History July Crisis Historiography World War I
Chinese Politics
2021, Vol. 13 No. 11
Deng's War: Assessing the Success of the Sino-Vietnamese War
By Richard Chen
The Sino-Vietnamese War remains one of the most peculiar military engagements during the Cold War. Conventional wisdom would hold that it was a proxy war in the vein of the United States’ war in Vietnam or the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan... Read Article »
China Vietnam Deng Xiaoping Cold War Chinese Politics
2021, Vol. 13 No. 11
Vindication for Tin Foil Hats: An Analysis of Unethical Cold War Experiments and Their Enduring Consequences
By Michael D. Opheim
While the Cold War is popularly regarded as a war of ideological conflict, to consider it solely as such does the long-winded tension a great disservice. In actuality, the Cold War manifested itself in numerous areas of life, including the various... Read Article »
Cold War American History Russian History USSR Ethics Scientific Research
World War II
2021, Vol. 13 No. 11
Propaganda, Patriotism, and Perseverance: How Music Became an Instrument for the US War Effort During the Second World War
By Anastasiia Gordeeva
This article analyzes the role of musical works in the United States during World War II. It chronologically examines how the social and therapeutic functions of music evolved due to the developments of the war. This article uses the lyrics of wartime... Read Article »
World War II Music And Politics Patriotism Propaganda Music Of World War II
Medieval History
2021, Vol. 13 No. 10
Performance of Class in the Socioeconomic Institutions of Early Medieval Ireland
By Jack R.T. Corp
Early medieval Irish society operated on an elaborate power structure formalized by law, practiced through social interaction, and maintained by tacit exploitation of the lower orders. This paper investigates the materialization of class hierarchies... Read Article »
Socioeconomics Irish History Medieval History Social Class Power
American Slavery
2021, Vol. 13 No. 05
From Flourishing Industrial Slavocracy to Restrictive Tenancy and Re-Enslavement: The Southern Labor Force Before and After the Civil War
By Mang Lu
Some scholars of American history suggest the institution of slavery was dying out on the eve of the Civil War, implying the Civil War was fought over more generic, philosophical states' rights principles rather than slavery itself. Economic evidence... Read Article »
Slavery Economics American Civil War Labor Economics Capitalism Agriculture Industrial Agriculture

What are you looking for?

FROM OUR BLOG

Finding Balance in Graduate School
How to Use Regression Analysis Effectively
How to Read for Grad School