Graduation Ceremony History

1890-1899

1900-1909

1910-1919

1920-1929

1930-1939

1940-1949

1950-1959

1960-1969

1970-1979

1980-1989

1990-1999

2000-2009

2010-2019

2020-2029

1890-1899

1892	Central Michigan University founded
June 21, 1893	Hon. Henry R. Pattengill, Superintendent of Public Instruction
1894
1895
July 2, 1896	Dr. Richard G. Boone
1897
June 16, 1898	Prof. Martin D'Ooge of Ann Arbor
June 12, 1899	Rev. Jean Frederick Lora, D. D.

1990-1909

June 8, 1900	(No speaker listed on program)
June 11, 1901	Albert Leonard, PH. D., President Michigan System of Normal Schools
June 18, 1902	Hon. L. D. Harvey, Supt. Public Instruction, Wisconsin
June 25, 1903	Dr. A. E. Winship, Litt. D. Boston, Mass.
1904
1905
1906
December 20, 1907	(No speaker listed on program)
June 24, 1908	Hon. F. G. Blair, State Superintendent of Public instruction, Springfield, Illinois
1909

1910-1919

1910
June 11, 1911	Hon. L. L. Wright, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
August 4, 1911	(No speaker listed on program)
August 2, 1912	President W. N. Ferris
1913	.
1914
1915
1916
June 20, 1917	Dr. Livingstone C. Lord, President Eastern Illinois State Normal School
August 3, 1917	Professor J. G. Carter Troop, New York City
March 22, 1918	President Charles T. Grawn Remarks: Honorable Fred L. Keller, Superintendent of Public Instruction
June 19, 1918	R. Perry Shorts, Central Michigan Normal, 1900
June 25, 1919	Rev. G. G. Atkins, First Congregational Church, Detroit

1920-1929

March 26, 1920	Prof. Roy W. Hamilton, Alma College
June 23, 1920	James Schermerhorn, Detroit
August 6, 1920	Rev. Lloyd C. Douglas, First Congregational Church, Ann Arbor
March 24, 1921	Paul L. Voelker, Pres. Of Olivet College
December 15, 1921	Prof. John L. Brumm, University of Michigan
March 23, 1922	President J. W. Laird, Albion College
June 20, 1922	Charles T. Grawn, President Central Normal 1900-1918
December 14, 1922	Rev. Frederick Spence, Jackson
1923
March 27, 1924	Rev. J. H. Green, Ionia
June 24, 1924	President E. B. Bryan, Ohio University
August 8, 1924	President Allan Hoben, Kalamazoo College
June 23, 1925	William McAndrew, Superintendent of Schools, Chicago
December 15, 1925	President H. M. Crooks, Alma College
March 25, 1926	Professor A. Eustace Haydon, University of Chicago
June 22, 1926	Rt. Rev. John N. McCormick, D.D., Bishop of Western Michigan
August 6, 1926	James Schermerhorn, Detroit
March 24, 1927	Prof. C. O. Davis, University of Michigan
June 20, 1927	Dr. Edward A. Steiner, Grinnell College
August 5, 1927	Dean H. C. Minnich, Miami University
December 13, 1927	Dr. Theodore G. Soares, University of Chicago
March 22, 1928	Dr. Herbert L. Willett, University of Chicago
June 18, 1928	William McAndrew
August 2, 1928	Prof. T. E. Rankin, University of Michigan
June 17, 1929	Dr. Thomas H. Reed, University of Michigan
August 1, 1929	Superintendent E. C. Hartwell, Buffalo, New York

1930-1939

March 27, 1930	Hon. Frank Cody, Superintendent of Schools, Detroit- Member of the State Board of Education
June 23, 1930	Dr. Ambrose L. Suhrie, Professor of Teachers College and Normal School Education, New York University
August 7, 1930	President Walter P. Morgan, Western Illinois State Teachers College
December 16, 1930	Dr. E. A. Winship, Journal of Education, Boston
March 26, 1931	Mr. James Schermerhorn, Detroit
June 22, 1931	Dean Charles W. Gilkey, University of Chicago
August 6, 1931	President W. G. Spencer, Hillsdale College
December 15, 1931	Dr. Earl Barnes
March 24, 1932	President E. C. Warriner
June 20, 1932	Dr. Charles C. Morrison, Editor, Christian Century
August 4, 1932	Dr. C. O. Davis, School of Education, University of Michigan
March 23, 1933	Rabbi Philip F. Waterman, Grand Rapids
June 19, 1933	Rollo Walter Brown, Cambridge, Massachusetts
August 2, 1933	Dr. Paul F. Voelker, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
December 15, 1933	President E. C. Warriner
March 22, 1934	Dr. Raleigh Schorling, School of Education, University of Michigan
June 19, 1934	Dr. Franklyn Snyder, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
August 2, 1934	Professor Floyd E. Armstrong, Life 1912 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
December 14, 1934	(No speaker listed on program)
June 24, 1935	Honorable Royal S. Copeland, United States Senator from New York
August 8, 1935	Professor Calvin O. Davis, University of Michigan
December 13, 1935	(No speaker listed on program)
March 27, 1936	Reverend Dr. Frederick B. Fisher, Detroit
June 22, 1936	Dr. George E. Vincent, Educator, Author and First President of the Rockefeller Foundation
August 6, 1936	Dean J. B. Edmonson, School of Education, University of Michigan
December 11, 1936	(No speaker listed on program)
June 21, 1937	Dr. T. V. Smith, Professor of Philosophy at University of Chicago and a member of the
August 5, 1937	Honorable Wynand Wichers, President of Hope College and Member of the State Board of Education
December 10, 1937	(No speaker listed on program)
March 24, 1938	(No speaker listed on program)
June 20, 1938	Honorable Francis L. Bailey, Commissioner of Education for the State of Vermont (Central- Life, 1915)
August 4, 1938	(No speaker listed on program)
December 14, 1938	(No speaker listed on program)
June 1939	Dr. E. C. Lindeman, New York School of Social Work

1940-1949

June 1940	Dr. H. M. Gage, President, Coe College
June 1941	A. J. Brumbaugh, Dean, University of Chicago
June 1942	Grove Patterson, President and Editor, The Toledo Blade
June 1943	Frank Cody, President Emeritus, Wayne University
June 1944	Louis K. Anspacher, Dramatist, Poet, Lecturer, New York
June 1945	Grant H. Brown, Lieutenant, USNR, Asst. Dir. of Training, 9th Naval District
June 1946	Harry F. Kelly, Governor of Michigan
June 1947	Dr. Kenneth Brown, President, Denison University
June 1948	Mr. John Tebbel
June 1949	Dean L. D. Haskew, University of Texas
June 1950	Dr. Arthur Rice, Editor, The Nation's Schools, Chicago
June 1951	Glenn O. Blough
June 1952	President Leslie Holmes, Northern Illinois State Teachers College, DeKalb
June 1953	Dr. James D. MacConnell, School of Education, Stanford Univ.
June 1954	Dr. Herold C. Hunt, Grad. School, Harvard Univ.
June 1955	Dr. John A. Hannah, President, Michigan State, East Lansing
June 1956	Leland I. Doan, President, The Dow Chemical Company, Midland
January 1957	President Robert D. Swanson, Alma College
June 1957	Delyte W. Morris, President, Southern Illinois University
January 1958	Victor F. Spathelf, President, Ferris Institute
June 1958	Samuel Miller Brownell, Supt. of Schools, Detroit
January 1959	Benjamin C. Willis, Supt. of Schools, Chicago
June 1959	Dr. Stephen Nisbet, Fremont, Michigan

1950-1959

June 1950	Dr. Arthur Rice, Editor, The Nation's Schools, Chicago
June 1951	Glenn O. Blough
June 1952	President Leslie Holmes, Northern Illinois State Teachers College, DeKalb
June 1953	Dr. James D. MacConnell, School of Education, Stanford Univ.
June 1954	Dr. Herold C. Hunt, Grad. School, Harvard Univ.
June 1955	Dr. John A. Hannah, President, Michigan State, East Lansing
June 1956	Leland I. Doan, President, The Dow Chemical Company, Midland
January 1957	President Robert D. Swanson, Alma College
June 1957	Delyte W. Morris, President, Southern Illinois University
January 1958	Victor F. Spathelf, President, Ferris Institute
June 1958	Samuel Miller Brownell, Supt. of Schools, Detroit
January 1959	Benjamin C. Willis, Supt. of Schools, Chicago
June 1959	Dr. Stephen Nisbet, Fremont, Michigan

1960-1969

January 1960	William W. Whitehouse, President, Albion College
June 1960	Robert P. Briggs, Ex-Vice Pres., Consumers Power, Jackson
January 1961	Dr. Edgar L. Harden, President, No. Michigan, Marquette
June 1961	Dr. Edgar L. Harden, President, No. Michigan, Marquette
January 1962	President Arthur L. Knoblauch, Western Illinois, Macomb
June 1962	Dr. Susan B. Riley, Dept. of Eng., George Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, TN
January 1963	Carl A. Gerstacker, Dow Chemical Company, Midland
June 1963	Ramon Scruggs, AT&T, New York, NY
January 1964	John S. Diekhoff, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
June 1964	Anne Gary Pannell, Pres. Sweet Briar College
January 1965	Dana Rose, VP Bell Telephone Co. Detroit
June 1965	Noah Langdale, Pres., Georgia State College, Atlanta
January 1966	Rev. Reford Carr, Horshorn, Australia
June 1966	John Ciardi, Poetry Editor, "Saturday Review"
January 1967	Senator Robert P. Griffin, U. S. Senator CEREMONY CANCELLED DUE TO SNOWSTORM
June 1967	Senator Robert P. Griffin, U. S. Senator
January 1968	John D. Millett, Chancellor, Ohio Board of Regents
June 1968	Mr. William G. Milliken, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
January 1969	Stanley J. Idzerda, President, College of Saint Benedict
June 1969	James L. Farmer, Asst. Sec. for Admin., U.S. Dept. of HEW

1970-1979

January 1970	Jacqueline Granna Wexler, President, Hunter College
June 1970	N. Scott Momaday, Author, Professor, Univ. of California
December 1970	Clifton R. Wharton, Jr., President of Michigan State Univ.
May 1971	Robert L. Ewigleben, President, Ferris State College
December 1971	Roger W. Heyns, President-Elect, American Council on Education
May 1972	Herbert H. Dow, President, Herbert H. and Grace A. Foundation
December 1972	Barbara W. Newell, Pres/Wellesley College
May 1973	Barbara W. Newell, President, Wellesley College
December 1973	Walter Adams, Professor of Economics at MSU, Pres/AAUniv. Prof.
May 1974	Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., Chief of Naval Operations
December 1974	Roger Wilkins
May 1975	Rafer Johnson
December 1975	Allan Ostar, Executive Director, AASCU
May 1976	William T. Coleman, Jr., Secretary of Transportation
December 1976	Glenn A. Olds, President, Kent State University
May 1977	Hollis Moore, President, Bowling Green University
December 1977	Marjorie Bell Chambers, President, Colorado Women's College
May 1978	John T. Bernhard, President, Western Michigan University
December 1978	Alejandro Orfila, Sec. General/Organ, of American States
May 1979	Robert Swanson, President, Alma College
December 1979	Johnathon Kozol, Harvard Graduate

1980-1989

May 1980	Richard Enberg, NBC Sportscaster
December 1980	Harold T. Shapiro, President, Univ. of Michigan
May 1981	William D. Ford, U. S. House of Representatives
December 1981	Lemuel Tucker, CBS News Correspondent
May 1982	Senator Carl Levin, U. S. Senator
December 1982	J. P. McCarthy, Announcer for WJR Radio in Detroit
May 1983	Chief Justice Norman Krivosha, Nebraska Supreme Ct.
December 1983	William B. Boyd, Pres., The Johnson Found., Racine, WI
May 1984	Dale F. Stein, Pres., Michigan Technological Univ.
December 1984	Robert Keeshan (Capt. Kangaroo) noted supporter for High. Ed.
May 1985	Harold Abel, President, Central Michigan University
December 1985	NO SPEAKER
May 1986	Diether H. Haenicke, Pres., Western Michigan University
December 1986	Joe H. Stroud, Editor, DETROIT FREE PRESS
May 1987	Neil S. Bucklew, Pres., West Virginia University
December 1987	Margaret Heckler, U. S. Ambassador to Ireland
May 1988	Arthur E. Ellis, Pres., Central Michigan University
December 1988	Edward B. Jakubauskas, President, Central Michigan Univ.
May 1989	Loret Miller Ruppe, Director, Peace Corps
December 1989	Roger L. Kesseler, VP & Controller, Dow Chemical Co.

1990-1999

May 1990	Terence C. Moore, Pres., Mid-Mich. Reg. Health Care Sys.
December 1990	B. Thomas Willison, Chairman of Dakin and Willison
May 1991	Joseph E. Antonini, Chairman, K-mart Corporation
December 1991	Larraine Matusak, W. K. Kellogg Foundation
May 1992	The Honorable John M. Engler, Governor, State of Michigan
December 1992	Paul C. Chaffee, Saginaw News, (10:00 a.m.)
December 1992	Dr. Bobby William Austin, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, (3 p.m.)
May 1993	Dr. Edward M. Elmendorf, VP for Gov. Rel., AASCU (9:30 a.m.)
May 1993	Dr. Emeral A. Crosby, Detroit Northern/Pershing High School Principal (1:30 p.m.)
May 1993	Mr. Richard A. Hazelton, President, Dow Corning Corp. (5:30 p.m.)
December 1993	Ms. Helen Murray Free, President, Miles Laboratories (10:00 a.m.)
December 1993	Dr. Timothy G. Quinn, President, Northwestern Michigan College (2:00 p.m.)
May 1994	Dr. Francis J. Molson, Chair, CMU English Department (9:30 a.m.)
May 1994	Mr. Lawrence W. Reed, President, The Mackinac Center for Public Policy (1:30 p.m.)
May 1994	Mr. Dennis Toffolo, President, Hudson's Department Store (5:30 p.m.)
December 1994	Dr. Charles Ping, President Emeritus, Ohio University (10:00 a.m.)
December 1994	Dr. Valerie Becker, National Education Program Administrator, Chrysler Corporation (2:00 p.m.)
May 1995	Mr. Henry Baskin, P.C., Baskin and Feldstein (9:30 a.m.)
May 1995	Mr. Gail L. Warden, President and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Ford Health System (1:30 p.m.)
May 1995	Mr. Barton W. LaBelle, President, Real Estate Division, LaBelle Management, Inc. (4:30 p.m.)
December 1995	The Honorable Fred Mester, Circuit Judge, Oakland County Circuit Court (10:00 a.m.)
December 1995	Mr. Elmer C. Jackson III, General Director of Employee Relations, General Motors Corp. (2:00 p.m.)
May 1996	Mr. Neil Shine, retired Editor and Publisher, Detroit Free Press (9:30 a.m.)
May 1996	Mrs. Margaret Ann Riecker, CMU Trustee Emeritus (1:30 p.m.)
May 1996	Dr. Martha R. Seger, Member, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System (4:30 p.m.)
August 1996	Dr. Douglas B. Roberts, State Treasurer (10:00 a.m.)
December 1996	Mr. George Weeks, DETROIT NEWS Political Columnist (10:00 a.m.)
December 1996	Mr. Patrick Quinn, CEO, Spartan Stores, Inc. (2:00 p.m.)
May 1997	Dr. Barbara Dixon, Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences (10:00 a.m.)
May 1997	Dr. Wells Cook, retiring Professor, Business Information Systems (1:30 p.m.)
August 1997	Dr. Gordon Guyer, retired Director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture (10:30 a.m.)
December 1997	Mr. F. Lee Bailey, Attorney (9:30 a.m.)
December 1997	Dr. Alan F. Quick, retiring Professor, TEPD (1:30 p.m.)
December 1997	Ms. Allison “Sunny” Roller, University of Michigan post-polio research (4:30 p.m.)
May 1998	Mr. Chuck Forbes, community developer and Detroit preservationist (9:30 a.m.)
May 1998	Dr. L. Kimberly Peoples, Director, GoLightly Career and Technical Center (1:30 and 4:30 p.m.)
August 1998	James F. Young, Assistant to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, EDS (10:30 a.m.)
December 1998	Clark Searle, Executive Vice President, CME Corporation (9:30 a.m.)
December 1998	Lloyd Reuss, former President of General Motors; Focus: HOPE (1:30 p.m.)
December 1998	Dr. Gary Schnell, Director of the Oklahoma Biological Survey (4:30 p.m.)
May 1999	Robert P. Young, Jr., Michigan Supreme Court Justice (9:30 a.m.)
May 1999	Ms. Kathryn L. Reichmann, CMU College of Extended graduate/management information systems manager for Southeastern Michigan Health Association in Detroit (1:30 p.m.)
May 1999	Dr. Alexa Canady, Chief of Neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit (4:30 p.m.)
August 1999	Major General Emilio Díaz-Colón , Puerto Rico Army National Guard (10:30 a.m.)
December 1999	Dr. Clara Lee Moodie, Professor Emerita, CMU Department of English (9:30 a.m.)
December 1999	Mrs. Eleanor Josaitis, Executive Director, Focus: HOPE in Detroit (1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.)

2000-2009

May 2000	Mr. Lynn E. Turner, Chief Accountant, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, DC (9:30 a.m.)
May 2000	Dr. Donald Bertsch, Director, CMU Counseling Center (1:30 p.m.)
May 2000	Mr. Art Van Elslander, Founder and Owner of Art Van Furniture Company (4:30 p.m.)
May 2000	Dr. Ronald Graham, Jacobs Professor of Computer and Information Science, University of California, San Diego (2:00 p.m.)
August 2000	Mr. Larry Johns, Chairman, Isabella Bank and Trust Bancorp, Incorporated, Mt. Pleasant (10:00 a.m.)
August 2000	Mr. Raymond Vecci, Executive Vice President, Customer Service and President, Michigan Operations, Northwest Airlines Michigan Regional Headquarters, Detroit, Michigan (2:00 p.m.)
December 2000	Mr. Ricardo Solomon, Chairman, Wayne County Commission (9:30 a.m.)
December 2000	Mr. Jeff Daniels, actor, director and writer (1:30 p.m.)
December 2000	Dr. John J. H. Schwarz, Michigan State Senator (4:30 p.m.)
May 2001	Dave Camp, United States Congressman (9:30 a.m.)
May 2001	Debbie Stabenow, United States Senator (1:30 p.m.)
May 2001	Samuel Logan, Jr., Publisher, MICHIGAN FRONTPAGE
May 2001	Dr. Donald J. Breckon, President, Park University, Missouri
August 2001	William L.Johnson, Chairman and CEO, SEMCO ENERGY, Inc. (10:00 a.m.)
August 2001	Joseph K. Knollenberg, United States Representative (2:00 p.m.)
December 2001	Renée Hampton, Publisher, Saginaw News (10:00 a.m.)
December 2001	Paul Hillegonds, President, Detroit Renaissance (2:00 p.m.)
May 2002	Mr. W. Frank Fountain, Senior Vice President, Governmental Relations, Daimler Chrysler Corporation (9:30 a.m.)
May 2002	Mr. Paul W. Smith, WJR-AM 760 Radio Personality (1:30 p.m.)
May 2002	Dr. Timothy R. B. Johnson, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medical Center (4:30 p.m.)
August 2002	Dr. George F. Vande Woude, Director, Van Andel Research Institute (9:30 a.m.)
August 2002	Mr. Michael D. Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Dow Chemical Company (1:00 p.m.)
December 2002	Dr. Donald A. Tomalia, President and Chief Technical Officer, Dendritic Nanotechnologies Limited (10:00 a.m.)
December 2002	Ms. Denise Ilitch, President, Ilitch Holdings, Inc. (2:00 p.m.)
May 2003	The Honorable John D. Cherry, Jr., Lieutenant Governor, State of Michigan (9:30 a.m.)
May 2003	Mrs. Judith Ann Rapanos, Chairperson, National Museum Services Board (1:00 p.m.)
May 2003	Dr. P. Dee Boersma, Professor, Department of Zoology, Adjunct Professor, Women Studies, Department of Zoology, University of Washington (5:00 p.m.)
August 2003	Mr. David Broder, Political Correspondent, The Washington Post (10:00 a.m.)
December 2003	Mr. Heath J. Meriwether, Publisher, Detroit Free Press (10:00 a.m.)
December 2003	Mr. Dick DeVos, The Windquest Group (2:00 p.m.)
May 2004	Dr. Marilyn French Hubbard, Vice President, Community Partnerships, Henry Ford Health System (9:30 a.m.)
May 2004	Chief Ella Bully-Cummings, Detroit Police Department (1:30 p.m.)
May 2004	Mr. Thomas Celani, President, Luna Entertainment (4:30 p.m.)
August 2004	Dr. Stephanie A. Burns, President and Chief Executive Officer, Down Corning Corporation (10:00 a.m.)
August 2004	Ms. Rebecca A. Humphries, Director, Department of Natural Resources (10:00 a.m.)
December 2004	Mr. Michael O’Donnell, Founder and Managing Director, Protiviti (2:00 p.m.)
December 2004	Dr. Joseph Bordogna, Deputy Director, National Science Foundation (9:30 a.m.)
May 2005	Mrs. Debbie Dingell, Vice Chair, GM Foundation and Executive Director, Government and Community Affairs (1:30 p.m.)
May 2005	Mr. David A. Brandon, Chairman and CEO, Domino’s Pizza, Inc.
May 2005	The Honorable Matthew J. Perry, Jr., U.S. District Court Judge, Columbia, S.C. (9:30 a.m.)
December 2005	Sue Schrier Bancroft, professional bassoonist and educator, Argyle, Texas (1:30 p.m.)
December 2005	David B. Keilitz, Executive Director, American Baseball Coaches Association (4:30 p.m.)
May 2006	Ms. Cynthia J. Pasky, President and CEO, Strategic Staffing Solutions, Inc. (9:30 a.m.)
May 2006	Mrs. Anne Stevens, Executive Vice President, Ford Motor Company (1:30 p.m.)
May 2006	Mr. Andrew Liveris, President and CEO, The Dow Chemical Company (4:30 p.m.)
December 2006	Mr. Keith Goodwin, Senior Vice President, Cisco Systems (9:30 a.m.)
December 2006	Mr. Michael Fezzey, President and General Manager, WJR Radio and Radio Disney (1:30 p.m.)
December 2006	Mr. Richard Dauch, Chair and CEO, American Axle and Manufacturing (5:00 p.m.)
December 2006	Mr. Kenneth Rogers, Executive Director, Automation Alley (5:00 p.m.)
May 2007	Mr. Jack Krasula, President, Trustinus, LLC (9:30 a.m.)
May 2007	Mr. John Grogan, Autho, (1:30 p.m.)
May 2007	Ms. Florine Mark, President, The WW Group, Inc. (5:00 p.m.)
December 2007	Mr. Jerry D. Campbell, Chairman of the Board, Republic Bancorp, Inc. (9:30 a.m.)
December 2007	The Honorable Terri Lynn Land, Secretary of State (1:30 p.m.)
December 2007	Mr. Joe Dumars III, The Joren Group and Detroit Pistons (5:00 p.m.)
May 2008	Dr. Robert J. Froehlich, Vice Chairman, DWS Scudder (9:30 a.m.)
May 2008	Mr. Chuck Leavell, author, speaker, Rolling Stones musician (1:30 p.m.)
May 2008	Mr. David Baker Lewis, Attorney at Law, Lewis and Munday (5:00 p.m.)
December 2008	Ms. Kathleen Ligocki, CEO, GS Motors (9:30 a.m.)
December 2008	Dr. Albert Scaglione, CEO, Park West Gallery (1:30 p.m.)
December 2008	Ms. Meena Mutyala, Vice President/Business Leader for India Strategy, Westinghouse Electric Company (5:00 p.m.)
May 2009	Mr. David Brown, Education Specialist, California Deaf-Blind Services (9:30 a.m.)
May 2009	Mr. John Bonamego, Special Teams Coordinator, Miami Dolphins (1:30 p.m.)
May 2009	Mr. Warren Miller, Chairman, Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad (5:00 p.m.)
December 2009	Mr. Daniel J. Loepp, President and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (9:30 a.m.)
December 2009	Ms. Mary Kramer, Vice President/Publisher, Crain’s Detroit Business (1:30 p.m.)
December 2009	L. Brooks Patterson, J.D., Oakland County Executive (5:00 p.m.)

2010-2019

May 2010	Dr. Peter J. Engardio, M.A., Founder, Writer and Editor of Engardio Media (2 p.m.)
May 2011	Dr. Nancy M. Schlichting, M.B.A., President and CEO of Henry Forth Health System (9:30am)
May 2011	Dr. Brett A. Hley, Director and Senior Broadcast Producer of "NBC Nightly News" (1:30 p.m.)
May 2011	Dr. Andrew G. Arena, J.D., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Division (5:00 p.m.)
December 2011	Dr. William F. Pickard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Global Automotive Alliance LLC (9:30 a.m.)
December 2011	Dr. Lizabeth Ardisana, Owner and Chief Executive Officer of ASG Renaissance (1:30 p.m.)
December 2011	Dr. Michael J. Farrell, MacDonald Women's Hospital and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital (5 p.m.)
May 2012	Dr. Mark A. Murray, President of Meijer, Inc. (9 a.m.)
May 2012	Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin, Poet (1 p.m.)
May 2012	Dr. Mark Francek, Professor of Geography at CMU (5 p.m.)
May 2012	Dr. John G. Kulhavi, Wealth Management Advisor (9 a.m.)
December 2012	Dr. Brian Calley, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Michigan (1 p.m.)
December 2012	Dr. Joseph Wang, Professor of Nanoengineering at the University of California San Diego (5 p.m.)
December 2012	Dr. D. James Baker, Director of Global Carbon Measurement Program (4 p.m.)
May 2013	Mr. J. Patrick Doyle, President and CEO of Domino's Pizza, Inc. (9 a.m.)
May 2013	Dr. E. Malcolm Field, Medical Director at Field Neurosciences Institute (1 p.m.)
May 2013	Dr. Rita R. Colwell, Distinguished University Professor (5 p.m.)
May 2013	Dr. Timothy R. B. Johnson, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Medical Center (4:30 p.m.)
December 14, 2013	Joseph B. Anderson Jr., chairman and CEO, TAG Holdings (9 a.m.)
December 14, 2013	Edward K. Christian, chairman, president, CEO and founder, Saga Communications Inc. (1 p.m.)
December 14, 2013	Dr. Jan H. Pol, veterinarian and star of National Geographic Wild’s “The Incredible Dr. Pol” (5 p.m.)
May 9, 2014	Robert E Kohrman, CMU emeritus professor and dean of the College of Science and Technology (4 p.m.)
May 10, 2014	John Fikany, vice president of Microsoft Corp.’s U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group for the Central Region (9 a.m.)
May 10, 2014	Teri Dale, American opera singer and actress (1 p.m.)
May 10, 2014	W. Curtis White, chief technology consultant and president of White IEQ Consulting (5:30 p.m.)
December 13, 2014	Roy S. Roberts, longtime U.S. automobile industry executive, General Motors Corp. (9 a.m.)
December 13, 2014	Sandra D. Petykiewicz, former editor and publisher of the Jackson Citizen Patriot (1 p.m.)
December 13, 2014	Nancy C. Tuchman, founding director, Institute of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago (5:30 p.m.)
May 8, 2015	Joseph S. Francisco, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Elmer H. and Ruby M. Cordes Chair in Chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (4 p.m.)
May 8, 2015	Melanie Bergeron, Chair of "Two Men and a Truck" (9 a.m.)
May 8, 2015	Thomas Morgan, Documentary Filmmaker (1 p.m.)
December 19, 2015	Enrico Digirolamo, Chief Financial Officer of Covisint Corp. (9 a.m.)
December 19, 2015	Shirley Brauker, owner of Moon Bear Pottery and Indian Arts (1:30 p.m.)
December 19, 2015	Dan Kildee, District 5 congressman (6 p.m.)
May 6, 2016	David J. Matty, Dean of College of Science at Weber State University (4 p.m)
May 6, 2016	Belle S. Wheelan, President of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (9 a.m.)
May 6, 2016	Eduardo B. Fernandez, Vice President and Divisional General Manager, E.W. Scripps (1:30 p.m.)
May 7, 2016	Gary L. Dunbar, Professor, Department of Psychology (6 p.m.)
December 17, 2016	Nick Krzyzaniak, General Manager for Danone North America (9 a.m.)
December 17, 2016	Christine Holton Cashen Certified Speaking Professional and member of the National Speakers Association (1:30 p.m.)
December 17, 2016	Tonya Matthews, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Michigan Science Center (6 p.m.)
May 6, 2017	Muriel A. Howard, President of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (Doctoral)
May 6, 2017	Gail Torreano, Retired Senior Vice President of AT&T Employee Communication and Corporate Sponsorships (9 a.m.)
May 6, 2017	Carter Oosterhouse, Television Personality, Lifestyle Expert, Business Owner and Philanthropist (1:30 p.m.)
May 6, 2017	Pamela J. Spencer, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Product Stewardship, ANGUS Chemical Co. (6 p.m.)
December 16, 2017	R. A. Lorris Betz, Senior Vice President Emeritus of Health Sciences, University of Utah (College of Medicine)
December 16, 2017	Gay L. Ebers-Franckowiak, Retired Managing Director of Morgan Stanley (9 a.m.)
December 16, 2017	Frank J. Cloutier, Former Chief of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (1:30 p.m.)
May 5, 2018	James O. Sawyer IV, President of Macomb Community College (6 p.m.)
May 5, 2018	Eleanor Baum, Retired Dean of Engineering at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Doctoral)
May 5, 2018	Jocelyn Hagerman, Founder and Co-Owner of Skypoint Ventures and Chief Executive Officer of the Hagerman Foundation (1:30 p.m.)
May 5, 2018	Terrance J. Coughlin, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Endo International Pharmaceutical Company (6 p.m.)
May 5, 2018	Dr. Kimberlydawn Wisdom, Senior Vice President of Community Health and Equity and the Chief Wellness and Diversity Officer at Henry Ford Health System (College of Medicine)
December 15, 2018	Deirdre Drake, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, U.S. Cellular Corporation (9 a.m.)
December 15, 2018	Janice Fialka, nationally recognized lecturer, author, social worker and award-winning advocate (1:30 p.m.)
December 15, 2018	Daniel C. Edson, President and Co-Founder of the American Proficiency Institute (5:30 p.m.)
May 4, 2019	Raymond W. Cross, President of the University of Wisconsin System (Doctoral) Subir Chowdhury, Chairman and CEO of ASI Consulting Group LLC (9 a.m.)
May 4, 2019	Sarah Rowley Opperman, Retired Vice President of Global Government Affairs and Public Policy at The Dow Chemical Company (1:30 p.m.)
May 4, 2019	Joseph Mancewicz, Senior Software Engineer in NVIDIA’s Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Group (6 p.m.)
May 4, 2019	Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges (College of Medicine)
November 21, 2020	No speaker at virtual ceremony due to COVID-19
May 2021	(No speaker listed on program)

2020-2029

November 21, 2020	No speaker at virtual ceremony due to COVID-19
May 2021	(No speaker listed on program)