Commencement Speaker

The Lewis & Clark College of Arts & Sciences Commencement Speaker on Saturday, May 18,
2 p.m., Griswold Stadium, will be Lieutenant-General Roméo Antonius Dallaire - Canadian senator, world citizen, humanitarian, author of Shake Hands with the Devil and retired general who served with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.

 
Senator Dallaire will be introduced at the Commencement ceremony by graduating senior Matthew Rugamba, International Affairs major from Kilgali, Rwanda.

 

Selection process:

Early each fall term, seniors are contacted by the Dean of the College, explaining the selection process and inviting speaker suggestions from the Lewis & Clark College community.  When a decision is reached and a speaker secured, the President makes an announcement to the community in the spring.

Recent commencement speakers:

2012- Dr. Martin Seligman, noted psychologist

2011: Timoth Egan, New York Times correspondent and author.

2010: Mark Plotkin, Amazon Conversation Team

2009: Ray Suarez, author, journalist

2008: Greg Mortenson, author, Three Cups of Tea

2007: Vivian Gusin Paley, noted child psychologist, University of Chicago

2006: Charles Johnson, S. Wilson and Grace M. Pollock Professor for Excellence in English, University of Washington.

2005: Josef Joffe, Publisher of Die Zeit

2004: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director, National Institutes of Health

2003: Ted Kulongoski, Governor, State of Oregon

2002: Ambassador Christopher Ross, Special Coordinator for Public Diplomacy and Deputy to the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State

2001: Lech Walesa, Nobel Peace Laureate and former President of Poland

2000: Dr. Ben O. Canada, Superintendent, Portland Public Schools

1999: Heidi Heitkamp, Attorney General, North Dakota,JD, Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College ‘80

1998: Brian Lamb, Chair & Chief Executive Officer, Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN)

1997: Jack Ward Thomas, Chief, U.S. Forest Service (retired)