Citation:
MAC to Millennium, University of Maryland Archives
Student Commencement Speakers
| July 11, 1862 | Thomas Franklin, one of the two graduates, gave the primary address; undergraduates Eugene Calvert, John S. Gittings, Rudolph Hitz, Addison Randall, Charles Benedict Calvert, Jr., William P. Turpin, William H. Wallis, C. Newman, and S. D. Hall also spoke or recited |
| June 26, 1863 | Charles Benedict Calvert, Jr. |
| 1864 | [4 graduates, no commencement excercises?] |
| 1865 | [no graduates?] |
| 1866 | [at least 3 graduates, no commencement excercises?] |
| 1867 | [at least 1 graduate, no commencement excercises?] |
| 1868 | [no graduates?] |
| 1869 | [no graduates?] |
| 1870 | [no graduates?] |
| June 22, 1871 | One graduate. Students read addresses. |
| 1872 | [no graduates?] |
| June 26, 1873 | Robert S. Henry, D. Dulany Worthington, William F. Waters, Walter F. Worthington, J. Asbury Regester, Oliver C. Miller |
| June 25, 1874 | John W. Coffren, Jr., Horace M. Davis, Lewis A. Griffith, Frank C. Norwood |
| June 24, 1875 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 27, 1876 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 26, 1877 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 25, 1878 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 24, 1879 | T. Truxton Houston (Salutatory),
Samuel Cissel (Valedictory) |
| June 29, 1880 | William H. Thomas (Salutatory), T. Truxton Houston (Valedictory) |
| June 28, 1881 | H. E. Gale (Salutatory), R. S. Mercer |
| June 27, 1882 | William H. Thomas (Valedictory) |
| June 28, 1883 | [no student speakers?] |
| 1884 | [at least 2 graduates, no commencement excercises?] |
| 1885 | [no graduates?] |
| June 17, 1886 | [no graduates or closing exercises, due to "recent reorganization"] |
| 1887 | [no graduates?] |
| June 19, 1888 | L. B. Johnson, S. M. Chambers, A. C. Talson, Melvin C. Hazen, (orators) J. B. Weems, R. E. Smith, W. S. Singer (essayists) |
| June 19, 1889 | R. M. Pindell (Valedictory) |
| June 18, 1890 | C. C. Manning, W. S. Keech, Jr., R. C. M. Calvert, C. E. Soles, E. G. Niles, R. L. Russell (Valedictory) |
| June 24, 1891 | F. P. Veitch, J. C. Langley, Charles Branch, Su Penn (Pyon Su), J. B. Latimer (Valedictory), and S. W. Gambrill (Class of 1892, on behalf of the undergraduates) |
| June 15, 1892 | Stephen Gambrill (Valedictory) |
| June 14, 1893 | H. C. Sherman, S. S. Buckley, J. J. W. Lawson, Charles Alsey, G. Y. Graft |
| June 13, 1894 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 19, 1895 | William W. Skinner (Valedictory) - Skinner was a nationally known agricultural research chemist and early leader in studies of pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River; he served eighteen years on the University of Maryland Board of Regents, seven of those as chair |
| June 17, 1896 | W. T. S. Rollins (Oration), H. H. Heyser (Valedictory) |
| June 16, 1897 | W. M. S. Weedon (Salutatory), J. D. Cronmiller (Valedictory) |
| June 15, 1898 | Claude V. Allnutt (Salutatory), D'Arcy C. Barnett (Valedictory) |
| June 14, 1899 | H. Edward Collins (Salutatory), J. A. E. Eyster (Valedictory) |
| June 13, 1900 | H. J. Kefauver (Salutatory), E. N. Sappington (Valedictory) |
| June 19, 1901 | F. V. McDonnell (Salutatory), W. W. Cobey (Valedictory) |
| June 11, 1902 | Robert Laurie Mitchell (Salutatory), Arthur Roscoe Hirst (Valedictory) |
| June 17, 1903 | Preston Littlepage Peach (Salutatory), John Pouder Collier (Valedictory) |
| June 15, 1904 | Lewis Walke Cruikshank (Salutatory), Ernest Wilbur Stoll (Valedictory) |
| June 14, 1905 | Albert Augustus Parker (Salutatory), Glenworth Sturgis (Valedictory) |
| June 13, 1906 | Lemuel Ferdinand Zerkel (Salutatory), Richard Hooper Dixon, Jr. (Valedictory) |
| June 12, 1907 | Harry D. Williar, Jr. (Salutatory), Morris Henry Adams (Valedictory) |
| June 10, 1908 | Harry Clifton Byrd (Salutatory), John Paul Lysias Shamberger (Valedictory) - Byrd returned to his Alma Mater in 1911 as Professor of English and History and football coach and rose through the administrative ranks to become president of the University of Maryland from 1935 to 1954. |
| June 16, 1909 | Percival Elliott Burroughs (Salutatory), James Stanley Gorsuch (Valedictory) |
| June 15, 1910 | C. M. Saunders (Salutatory), Millard Evelyn Tydings (Valedictory) - Tydings later became a four-term U. S. Senator from Maryland, a fierce opponent of McCarthyism, and the father of Philippine independence. |
| June 14, 1911 | Lindsay McDonald Silvester, Jr. (Salutatory), Joseph William Kinghorne (Valedictory) |
| June 12, 1912 | M. W. McBride (Salutatory), N. L. Clark (Valedictory) |
| June 18, 1913 | H. S. Koehler (Salutatory), M. E. Davis (Valedictory) |
| June 17, 1914 | D. F. Schamberger (address) |
| June 16, 1915 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 7, 1916 | Edwin Andrew Taylor (Salutatory), Ralph Frank McHenry (Valedictory ) |
| May 30, 1917 | W. D. Gray (Salutatory), H. B. Derrick (Valedictory) |
| May 30, 1918 | [no student speakers?] |
| May 30, 1919 | E. M. Sawyer (Senior Address) |
| June 16, 1920 | Elizabeth G. Hook (Salutatory), Edward B. Ady (Valedictory) |
| June 11, 1921 | Charles W. Cole (Senior Address) |
| June 10, 1922 | Sterling Ruffin Newell (Address) |
| June 16, 1923 | Robert Malcolm Watkins (Valedictory) |
| June 14, 1924 | Aubrey S. Wardwell (Valedictory) |
| June 9, 1925 | Edward F. Juska (Valedictory) |
| June 8, 1926 | T. A. Brown (Valedictory ) |
| June 7, 1927 | Milford H. Sprecher (Valedictory) |
| June 2, 1928 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 11, 1929 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 10, 1930 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 9, 1931 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 4, 1932 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 3, 1933 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 2, 1934 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 1, 1935 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 6, 1936 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 5, 1937 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 4, 1938 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 3, 1939 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 1, 1940 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 7, 1941 | [no student speakers?] |
| May 30, 1942 | [no student speakers?] |
| February 4, 1943 | [no student speakers?] |
| May 29, 1943 | [no student speakers?] |
| September 30, 1943 | [no student speakers?] |
| December 22, 1943 | [no student speakers?] |
| March 25, 1944 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 28, 1944 | [no student speakers?] |
| September 28, 1944 | [no student speakers?] |
| December 22, 1944 | [no student speakers?] |
| March 26, 1945 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 27, 1945 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 8, 1946 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 7, 1947 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 5, 1948 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 4, 1949 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 10, 1950 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 9, 1951 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 7, 1952 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 6, 1953 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 5, 1954 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 4, 1955 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 9, 1956 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 8, 1957 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 7, 1958 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 6, 1959 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 4, 1960 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 10, 1961 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 9, 1962 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 8, 1963 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 6, 1964 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 5, 1965 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 4, 1966 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 3, 1967 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 8, 1968 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 7, 1969 | [no student speakers?] |
| January 22, 1970 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 6, 1970 | [no student speakers?] |
| January 25, 1971 | [no student speakers?] |
| June 5, 1971 | [no student speakers?] |
| January 24, 1972 | Thomas White Hall, Jr. |
| June 3, 1972 | Gregory W. Mitchell |
| December 21, 1972 | Joan Charlotte Hennessey |
| May 19, 1973 | Alexis Julia Leonard |
| December 22, 1973 | Timothy John Brennan |
| May 12, 1974 | C. Thomas McMillen - McMillen became the first student from the University of Maryland to be to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and later served as a U. S. Representative from Maryland from 1987 to 1993. He was a member of the 1972 U. S. Olympic men's basketball team that won a silver medal. He also played professional basketball for the Buffalo Braves (1976-1977), New York Knicks (1977), Atlanta Hawks (1978-1983), and Washington Bullets (1984-1985). |
| December 20, 1974 | Martha Lynn Innocenti |
| May 11, 1975 | Susan Lynne Morris |
| December 21, 1975 | Susan Bette Zuckerman |
| May 15, 1976 | Gary Allan Prince |
| December 17, 1976 | Lawrence Weiss |
| May 14, 1977 | Henri D. Barholomot |
| December 19, 1977 | Elizabeth A. Williams |
| May 19, 1978 | Alan Ansher |
| December 18, 1978 | Karen L. Ehrlich |
| May 18, 1979 | Alan and Alvin Chow |
| December 18, 1979 | Cheryl E. Johnson |
| May 16, 1980 | Patricia R. Richards |
| December 22, 1980 | Hari Cheryl Brown |
| May 15, 1981 | Mary Jane Inglesby |
| December 22, 1981 | Kevin L Fast |
| May 14, 1982 | Henry A. Affeldt, Jr. |
| December 22, 1982 | Tony John Larioni |
| May 23, 1983 | Daniel Dean Dietrick |
| December 23, 1983 | Anne Beth Modlin |
| May 24, 1984 | Michael Wannon |
| December 21, 1984 | Seanne Elise Udell |
| May 23, 1985 | Andrew W. Trice |
| December 20, 1985 | Judith Tibbs Sciannella |
| May 27, 1986 | Ruth Brenda Felsen |
| December 23, 1986 | Michael E. Lorenzen |
| May 26, 1987 | Perry William Alexion |
| December 22, 1987 | Michael Ernest Severino |
| May 24, 1988 | Sarah Rose-Anne Linde |
| December 23, 1988 | Susan Tokarcik |
| May 25, 1989 | Rhonda Y. Williams |
| December 22, 1989 | Marie France Le Bouder |
| May 24, 1990 | Debra Lynne Smith |
| May 23, 1991 | Jeffrey Todd Adler |
| December 20, 1991 | Anna Kathryn Gilcher |
| May 19, 1992 | Jeffrey Alan Jones |
| December 22, 1992 | Susan Elizabeth Garrett |
| May 20, 1993 | Monica Willis |
| December 23, 1993 | Michael David Nicoleau |
| May 19, 1994 | Susan M. Ator - A Reisterstown, Md., native, Astor graduated with a 4.0 and degrees in math education and Spanish. She studied abroad in Madrid and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. She was a member of math honor societies and Phi Beta Kappa. |
| December 22, 1994 | Colleen R. Read - Read graduated with a degree in Spanish language and literature and finished a degree in government and politics in the spring of 1995. She earned a 4.0 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She volunteered for the Child Welfare division of Social Services and tutored. |
| May 19, 1995 | Juanita Russell - Russell was a teaching assistant and received the Shirley Chisholm Award, among others. She earned a 4.0 while working part-time and raising a family. |
| December 22, 1995 | Stuart Amateau - A psychology major, Amateau worked in the lab of the chair of the department. He got to present his research at the annual Society of Neurosciences convention. |
| May 23, 1996 | Supriya Goyal - Goyal double majored in philosophy and neurobiology and achieved a 4.0 gpa. She was involved with the University Honors Program and the Central Judicial Board, as well as the student newspaper and WMUC Radio. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key Honor Society, and many other societies. |
| December 20, 1996 | Beth Lowenthal - Lowenthal earned a B.A. in French (business concentration) and minors in pre-pharmacy, German, and Spanish and is from Ellicott City, Md. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and other societies. |
| May 22, 1997 | Joel E. Buzy - A trained firefighter, paramedic, and emergency dispatcher, he decided to pursue an undergraduate education in biological sciences after overcoming a learning disability |
| December 21, 1997 | Raymond Peters - He graduated as an anthropology major after an extended break in his undergraduate career which first ended in 1983. His work on Vietnamese kinship and culture change encouraged him to pursue graduate study. |
| May 22, 1998 | Randall D. Katz - Twice a finalist for the Truman scholarship, twice a winner of the Udall Scholarship for Excellence in National Environment Policy, and member of Phi Beta Kappa, he was also a member of the Student Government Association and the Student Honor Council. He graduated with two bachelor's degrees and certificates from University Honors and College Park Scholars. |
| December 20, 1998 | Amy Schlom - Marketing major and member of Phi Beta Kappa and Beta Gamma Sigma, she graduated with a 4.0. |
| May 24, 1999 | Benjamin Lynerd - Lynerd was a double major in Government and Politics and Music and was a member of both the University Honors Program and the Government/Politics Departmental Honors Program. He held leadership positions in Sigma Alpha and won the Homer Ulrich Award for Piano Performance in 1997. |
| December 23, 1999 | G. Scott Shaw - A journalism major who was a columnist for the Diamondback, he was president of the university's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. He was involved in hospice care through communications projects and volunteer work. |
| May 25, 2000 | Mona H. Siddqui- The first recipient of the University Medal, she majored in both physiology/neurobiology and philosophy. She volunteered at Shady Grove Nursing Home and Longview Elementary School and researched at the National Institutes of Health. She also assisted in a maternity ward in a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, and was a member of the University Honor Council. |
| December 21, 2000 | Heather C. King - After a year at Prince George's Community College, King attended the University of Maryland as a College Park Scholar and Honors student. She achieved a 4.0 gpa with her English language and literature major. |
| May 24, 2001 | Mark Daniel Tosso - Tosso was involved with many campus service organizations including President's Student Advisory Council, University Senate, and the Office of Judicial Programs. A Banneker/Key Scholar, he maintained a 4.0 as a double major in history and communication. He was also a part of the Gemstone and History Honors programs and Omicron Delta Kappa. |
| December 20, 2001 | Sonia Kumar - A Banneker/Key Scholar with a 3.9 gpa, she majored in journalism. With parents from other countries, her father from India and her mother of Turkish and Persian extraction from Iran, she gained an international perspective. She won a Senior Scholars Award in 2001 that allowed her to write and travel in Iran. |
| May 23, 2002 | Zachary Bookman - Before entering UMD, he sold his lawn business, from which he made $50,000 throughout high school. He graduated with a degree in government and politics, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and as a Dean's Academic Scholar. He studied abroad at Oxford University, was involved in theatre, men's varsity cross-country, and chess tournaments. |
| December 22, 2002 | Kirsten Ehrenspeck - She choose a major in secondary education, speech and English. She graduated with honors and a 3.9 gpa. She founded "The Prism", and helped reform "Terp Pals." She was a member of Alpha Lambda Delta honors society and the University Honors Program, as well as the Mighty Sound of Maryland marching band. |
| May 22, 2003 | Rebecca Ariel Hoffberg - Graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in government and politics, and a B.S. in mathematics. A Baltimore native, she was a member of the Gemstone program, a Banneker/Key Scholar, was the Undergraduate Researcher of the year, Truman Scholarship finalist, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Maryland Medallion Society, and the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society. |
| December 20, 2003 | Robyn Ellyn Sanderson - Double astronomy and physics major, she also sang in Maryland's Chamber Singers, a Virginia-based choral group, and directed a student singing group, Voices of Truth |
| May 20, 2004 | Christine Smit - A Beltsville native, Ms. Smit was a computer engineering and vocal performance double major. |
| December 18, 2004 | Renee Sihvola - A Frederick native, she graduated with a double major in government and politics and criminal justice with a 3.89 gpa. She helped found the Open Door Fellowship, and was a member of the Lutheran Student Association and College Park Scholars. |
| May 21, 2005 | Fernando Balderrama - A native of Bolivia, Balderrama came to the United States as an American Field Service exchange student. Deeply influenced by the horrors of poverty in his home country, he worked with victims of the Santa Cruz riots, assisted with activities in the Lourdes Clinic, and volunteered in orphan and retirement homes. While at the university, he sought to integrate Latin American culture into campus activities and served as a Spanish mentor in the Language House. He graduated with a triple major in business, economics, and French. |
