Commencement Speakers
NOTE: Having a commencement speaker, as we know the ceremony, was not always the custom. Apparently it became the custom at SJU in 1882, 25 years after its 1857 founding.
| Year | Guest Speaker | Student Speakers | B.A./B.S. Degrees* |
| 2023 |
Kurt Vickman |
Durran Thompson | 332 |
| 2022 | Abbot John Klassen, OSB & S. Michaela Hedican, OSB | Jack Fogelberg | 351 |
| 2021 | Gen. Paul Nakasone | Simeon Farquharson | 347 |
| 2020 | Eugene McAllister | Owyn Ferguson | 391 |
| 2019 | Mark Vande Hei |
Luke Olley |
398 |
| 2018 | Denis McDonough |
Steven Bezdichek Pfahning |
403 |
| 2017 | Dan Whalen |
Ramond Mitchell |
438 |
| 2016 | Joe Cavanaugh |
Paul Knakk |
394 |
| 2015 | Dr. Robert H. Dumonceaux |
Luke Newgaard |
434 |
| 2014 | Kathleen Blatz, J.D. |
Michael Rogers |
428 |
| 2013 | Rev. Dennis Dease |
John Loonan |
428 |
| 2012 | Mr. John McCutcheon |
Ty Cox |
435 |
| 2011 | Dr. John Grim |
Thomas Loonan |
476 |
| 2010 | Rev. Edwin D. Leahy, O.S.B. |
Matthew Beck |
446 |
| 2009 | Dr. Sharon Daloz Parks |
Joe Kane |
447 |
| 2008 | Mr. William Green |
Thomas Connelly |
469 |
| 2007 | Mr. Bob Abernethy |
Paul E. Storm |
417 |
| 2006 | Dr. R. Scott Appleby |
Samuel Boggs |
390 |
| 2005 | Mr. Charles M. Denny, Jr. |
Andrew Dirksen |
448 |
| 2004 | Mr. Thomas Beaudoin |
Michael Marschel |
511 |
| 2003 | Mr. Ray Suarez |
James Mulrooney |
424 |
| 2002 | The Honorable Mark Kennedy |
Charles Berendes |
414 |
| 2001 | Fred de Sam Lazaro |
Joseph Tinguely |
441 |
| 2000 | Rev. William J. Byron, S.J. |
Kevin Clancy |
383 |
| 1999 | Prof. Michael Perry |
Michael Dirksen |
408 |
| 1998 | Dr. Evan Maurer |
Lance Bodeen |
363 |
| 1997 | The Honorable Guido Calabresi |
Philip Steger |
338 |
| 1997 (December) | Dr. Charles Bobertz | 49 | |
| 1996 | Mr. Steven Rothschild |
Anthony Amelse |
305 |
| 1996 (December) | Ms. Betty Wolterman | 56 | |
| 1995 | Mr. Stephen Sommers |
Joseph Flock |
286 |
| 1995 (December) | Mr. David Lyndgaard | 59 | |
| 1994 | The Honorable Alan C. Page |
Ross Drever |
306 |
| 1994 (December) | Dr. Joseph Farry | 72 | |
| 1993 | Mr. Colman McCarthy | 356 | |
| 1993 (December) | Rev. Timothy Backous, O.S.B. | 57 | |
| 1992 | Governor George A. Sinner |
Todd Boss and Denis McDonough |
445 |
| 1991 | Rev. Hilary D. Thimmesh, O.S.B. |
Christopher P. Diffley |
434 |
| 1990 | Ambassador Edward J. Perkins |
Scott C. LaBarre |
405 |
| 1989 | Mr. William F. Buckley, Jr. |
Michael A. Holscher |
413 |
| 1988 | Mr. Paul D. Schurke |
Michael J. Cronin |
388 |
| 1987 | Ms. Carolyn Forche |
Anthony Gabriel Amon |
424 |
| 1986 | Rev. David Burrell, C.S.C |
Frederick William Stein |
415 |
| 1985 | Dr. Esther de Waal |
Aaron H. Franta |
441 |
| 1984 | Mr. Garrison Keillor |
John P. Keane |
397 |
| 1983 | Senator David Durenberger |
Paul R. Linde |
407 |
| 1982 (audio) | Mr. Jon Hassler |
Robert E. Culligan |
400 |
| 1981 | Dr. Harlan Cleveland | 411 | |
| 1980 | Dr. Mortimer J. Adler | 342 | |
| 1979 | Mr. Thomas F. Roeser | ||
| 1978 | Rev. Hilary D. Thimmesh, O.S.B. | ||
| 1977 | The Honorable Sam Ervin, Jr. | ||
| 1976 | Mr. Russell Baker | ||
| 1975 | Senator Hubert H. Humphrey | ||
| 1974 | Dr. Robert H. Dumonceaux | ||
| 1973 | Prof. Norman James | ||
| 1972 | Rev. John Howard, O.S.B. | ||
| 1971 | Dr. Dana L. Farnsworth, M.D. | ||
| 1970 | Rev. Andrew J. Young | ||
| 1969 | The Right Honorable Lord Caradon | ||
| 1968 | Dr. Eugene C. Blake | ||
| 1967 | Lady Barbara Ward Jackson | ||
| 1966 | Dr. Jaroslav J. Pelikan | ||
| 1965 | Rev. John Courtney Murray, S.J. | ||
| 1964 | Senator Eugene J. McCarthy | ||
| 1963 | The Most Reverend Paul Leonard Hagarty, O.S.B. | ||
| 1962 | Mr. Gerard E. Sherry | ||
| 1961 | Mr. Philip J. Scharper | ||
| 1960 | The Most Reverend Peter W. Bartholome | ||
| 1959 | Mr. John Cogley | ||
| 1958 | Dr. David A. Boyd, Jr., M.D. | ||
| 1957 | The Most Reverend Leo F. Dworschak | ||
| 1956 | The Most Reverend Archbishop John Gregory Murray | ||
| 1955 | Sister Madeleva, C.S.C. | ||
| 1954 | Rev. Philip Hughes | ||
| 1953 | The Honorable Eugene J. McCarthy | ||
| 1952 | Dr. Helen C. White | ||
| 1951 | Rev. Hans A. Reinhold | ||
| 1950 | Dr. Donald J. Cowling | ||
| 1949 | The Most Reverend Francis Schenk | ||
| 1948 | Dr. Patrick A. Crowley | ||
| 1947 | Dr. Laurence M. Gould | ||
| 1946 | Rev. Wilfred Mallon, S.J. | ||
| 1945 | Rev. J. Timothy Gannon | ||
| 1944 | Prof. James J. Doland | ||
| 1943 | The Honorable Lawrence M. Hall | ||
| 1942 | The Most Reverend Peter W. Bartholome | ||
| 1941 | Rev. James H. Moynihan | ||
| 1940 | Dr. Louis J.A. Mercier | ||
| 1939 | The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch | ||
| 1938 | Dr. Mortimer J. Adler | ||
| 1937 | Dr. Martin Ruud | ||
| 1936 | Dr. Jerome G. Kirwin | ||
| 1935 | Mr. John J. Courtney | ||
| 1934 | Dr. Richard E. Scammon | ||
| 1933 | Dr. William O'Brien, M.D. | ||
| 1932 | The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch | ||
| 1931 | Rev. Leo Keaveny | ||
| 1930 | Rev. Philip H. Kiley | ||
| 1929 | The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch | ||
| 1928 | Abbot Alcuin Deutsch, O.S.B. | ||
| 1927 | The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch | ||
| 1926 | The Most Reverend Joseph F. Busch | ||
| 1925 | Abbot Alcuin Deutsch, O.S.B. | ||
| 1924 | The Honorable James Quigley | ||
| 1923 | James A. Garrity | ||
| 1922 | Charles E. Vasaly | ||
| 1921 | John Willis | ||
| 1920 | Rt. Rev. Joseph Busch, D.D. | ||
| 1917 | Most Rev. John Bonzano, D.D. | ||
| 1914 | Joseph Janousek, 1902 | ||
| 1912 | John Willis | ||
| 1910 | Bishop Patrick Heffren, 1878 | ||
| 1909 | Rev. George A. Arctander, 1888 | ||
| 1908 | Rev. Daniel Lynch, 1886 | ||
| 1906 | William Markoe, 1869 | ||
| 1905 | John Ahmann, 1877 | ||
| 1904 | Rev. L. J. Vaughan | ||
| 1903 | William Markoe, 1869 | ||
| 1898 | Bishop Trobec | ||
| 1895 | Bishop Marty | ||
| 1894 | Governor Knute Nelson | ||
| 1892 | Judge D.B. Searle | ||
| 1891 | Hon. Frank E. Searle | ||
| 1885 | Hon. H.C. Waite | ||
| 1884 | J.W. Arctander | ||
| 1882 | Hon. H.C. Waite |
*Statistics source: Registrar's Annual Report (total degrees conferred for that academic year)