NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS
Year |
Speaker |
Title |
1911 |
Hon. Wendell P. Stafford. |
Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court Washington, DC |
1912 |
Dr. Charles H. Parkhurst |
Pastor, Presbyterian Church Lenox, MA |
1916 |
Rev. Minot C. Morgan |
Pastor, Central Presbyterian Church Summit, NJ |
1917 |
Rev. Howard J. Chidley |
Pastor, First Congregational Church Winchester, MA |
1926 |
Rev. George E. Barnes |
Pastor, Overbrook, Presbyterian Church |
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Richmond, VA |
1928 |
Dr. Francis P. Gaines |
President, Wake Forest College Wake Forest, NC |
1929 |
Dr. Howard J. Chidley |
Pastor, Central Congregational Church Brooklyn, NY |
1930 |
Dr. S. Parks Cadman |
Pastor, Central Congregational Church Brooklyn, NY |
1931 |
Hon. W.P. Stacy |
Chief Justice, North Carolina Supreme Court Raleigh, NC |
1932 |
Dr. Ralph W. Stockman |
Pastor, Madison Ave. Methodist Church New York, NY |
1933 |
Dr. J. Stanley Durkee |
Pastor, Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, NY |
1934 |
Dr. Julian S. Miller |
Editor, the Charlotte Observer Charlotte, NC |
1935 |
Hon. Clyde R. Hoey |
Attorney, Shelby, NC |
1936 |
Hon. Ogden L. Mills |
Businessman, New York, NY |
1937 |
Dr. Stephen S. Wise |
Rabbi, Free Synagogue, New York, NY |
1938 |
Dr. Ralph W. Stockman |
Pastor, Christ Church, New York, NY |
1939 |
Dr. Louis K. Anspacher |
Playwright, author, lecturer, New York, NY |
1940 |
Hon. Clyde R. Hoey |
Governor, State of North Carolina Raleigh, NC |
1941 |
Hon. J. Melville Broughton |
Governor, State of North Carolina Raleigh, NC |
1942 |
Dr. Norman Vincent Peele |
Pastor, Marble Collegiate Church New York, NY |
1943 |
Hon. Sumner Wells |
Under Secretary of State, Washington, D.C |
1944 |
Dr. Stephen S. Wise |
Rabbi, Free Synagogue, New York, NY |
1945 |
Dr. Norman Vincent Peele |
Pastor, Marble Collegiate Church New York, NY |
1946 |
Dr. James W. Montgomery |
Vice-President, Protestant Voice New York, NY |
1947 |
Hon. Alben W. Barkley |
U.S. Senator - Kentucky Washington, DC |
1948 |
Dr. Alonzo F. Myers |
Chairman, Dept. Higher Education New York University, New York, NY |
1949 |
Mr. Jonathan Daniels |
Editor, Raleigh News and Observer Raleigh, NC |
1950 |
Dr. Martha B. Lucas |
President, Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, VA |
1951 |
Maj. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey |
Director, Selective Service System Washington, DC |
1952 |
Dr. David Elton Trueblood |
Earlham College, Richmond, IN |
1953 |
Dr. J. Curtis Dixon |
Vice-President, Southern Education Foundation, Atlanta, GA |
1954 |
Mr. William L. Shirer |
Author and News commentator New York, NY |
1955 |
Hon. Capus Miller Waynick |
Former Ambassador to Nicaragua High Point, NC |
1956 |
Dr. Karl Worth Bigelow |
Professor of Education, Teachers College, Columbia, University, NY |
1957 |
Dr. Howard Thurman |
Dean Marsh Chapel, Boston University Boston, MA |
1958 |
Dr. Kenneth L. Brown |
Exec. Director, Danforth Foundation St. Louis, MO |
1959 |
Hon. William H. Hastie |
Judge- U.S. Court of Appeals Third Circuit Philadelphia, PA |
1960 |
Rev. Gardner Taylor |
Pastor, Concord Baptist Church Brooklyn, NY |
1961 |
Dr. George D. Kelsey |
Drew Theological Seminary, Drew University, Madison, NJ |
1962 |
Mr. Harry Golden |
Editor – Carolina Israelite, Charlotte, NC |
1963 |
Dr. Marshall L. Shepard |
Councilman at Large, Philadelphia, PA |
1964 |
Hon. A. Leon Higginbotham |
U.S. District Judge. Eastern District Philadelphia, PA |
1965 |
Dr. John H. Johnson |
President, Johnson’s Publications Chicago, IL |
1966 |
Dr. Edward W. Brice |
Assistant. to the Assistant Secretary, U.S. Dept. Health, Education and Welfare Washington, DC |
1967 |
Dr. Watts Hill, Jr. |
Chairman, N.C. Board of Higher Education Raleigh, NC |
1968 |
Dr. Frederick D. Patterson |
President, Phelps-Stokes Fund Washington, DC |
1969 |
Mrs. Elizabeth Duncan Koontz |
Director, Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC |
1970 |
Mr. James Farmer |
Asst. Secretary for Administration Dept. Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, DC |
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1971 |
Dr. Martin D. Jenkins |
Director, Office of Urban Affairs American Council on Education, Washington, DC |
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1972 |
Dr. James E. Cheek |
President, Howard University, Washington, DC |
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1973 |
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson |
President (PUSH), People United to Save |
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Humanity, Chicago, IL |
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1974 |
Hon. Maynard H. Jackson |
Mayor of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA |
1975 |
Dr. Alvin F. Poussiant, M.D. |
Assoc. Prof. of Psychiatry, Dean, Student Affairs, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA |
1976 |
Dr. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. |
Exec. Director, National Urban League New York, NY |
1977 |
Mr. Howard A. Lee |
Secretary, Department of Natural & Economic Resources, Raleigh, NC |
1978 |
Ms. Ersa H. Poston |
Commissioner, U.S. Civil Service Commission, Raleigh, NC |
1979 |
Mr. Harry E. Groves (For Rev. Jesse L. Jackson) |
Dean, School of Law, NCCU Durham, NC |
1980 |
Dr. Winfred Godwin |
President, Southern Regional Education Board, Atlanta, GA |
1981 |
Dr. William A. Clement |
Chairman, Board of Trustees, NCCU Durham, NC |
1982 |
Dr. Bernard C. Watson |
President, The William Penn Foundation Philadelphia, PA |
1983 |
Hon. Tom Bradley |
Mayor, City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA |
1984 |
Dr. Helen Gray Edmonds |
Distinguished Professor Emeritus North Carolina Central University Durham, NC |
1985 |
Ms. Patricia A. Russell |
President, Patricia A. Russell, Consultant |
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Washington, DC |
1986 |
The Right Rev. Desmond Tutu |
Archbishop-Elect of Capetown and Primate |
|
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The Church of South Africa, South Africa |
1987 |
Hon. L. Douglas Wilder |
Lieutenant Governor, Commonwealth of Virginia, Richmond, VA |
1988 |
Ms. Mary Harwood Futrell |
President, National Education Association Washington, DC |
1989 |
Dr. Tyronza R. Richmond |
Chancellor, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC |
1990 |
Hon. Daniel T. Blue, Jr. |
Member, House of Representatives North Carolina General Assembly Raleigh, NC |
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1991 |
Dr. Helen G. Edmonds |
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Member, Board of Trustees, North Carolina Central University Durham, NC |
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1992 |
Atty. William E. Gary |
Gary, Williams, & Parnell, Fort Peacock, FL |
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1993 |
Patricia A. Russell-McCloud |
President, Russell-McCloud Associates Washington, DC |
1994 |
Atty. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr. |
Senior Partner, Akin, Gump, Straus, Hauer |
5/14/94 & Feld, Washington, DC
1994 Dr. Mary M. Townes Retired Professor/Administrator 12/16/94 North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC
1995 Hon. Maynard H. Jackson Chair Board Member, Jackson Securities 5/13/95 Atlanta, GA
1995 Dr. Eddie N. Williams President, Joint Center for Politics and 12/16/95 Economic Studies, Washington, DC
1996 Mrs. Carolyn Morris Asst. Director, Information Resources 5/11/96 Division, FBI, Washington, DC
1996 Hon. Joyce London Alexander Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge District of 12/18/96 Massachusetts, Boston, MA
1997 Atty. Thurgood Marshall, Jr. Attorney, Washington, DC 5/10/97
1997 Mr. Earl G. Graves Publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine
12/13/97 New York, NY
1998 Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr. Riverside Church, New York, NC
5/9/98
1998 Bishop Eddie L. Long New Birth Missionary Baptist Church 12/18/98 Atlanta, GA
1999 Mr. Hugh B. Price Executive Director, National Urban League 5/8/98 New York, NY
1999 Atty. Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. Harvard Law School Jesse Climento 12/17/98 Professor, Cambridge, MA
2000 Atty. Bill Lann Lee Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights
5/13/00 Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC
2000 Evangelist Shirley Caesar Pastor, Mount Calvary Word of Faith 12/15/00 Church, Raleigh, NC
2001 Mr. Benjamin S. Ruffin Chair, UNC Board of Governors 5/12/01 Lewisville, NC
2001 Hon. Daniel T. Blue, Jr. North Carolina State Representative, Wake
12/14/01 County, Raleigh, NC
2002 Dr. Frederick S. Humphries President & CEO, National Association 5/11/02 for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, Washington, DC
2002 Dr. Tyrone R. Baines Director of Youth Initiative Partnership, W. 12/12/02 K. Kellogg, Foundation, Battle Creek, MI
2003 Hon. Mattie R. Sharpless U.S. Ambassador to Central African 5/10/03 Republic, Washington, DC
2003 Dr. Eugene Flood, Jr. President & CEO, Smith Breeden Associates 12/12/03 Durham, NC
2004 Mr. William “Bill” McNeal Superintendent, Wake County School 5/1/04 Raleigh, NC
2004 Bishop Eddie Long Senior Pastor, New Birth Missionary 12/10/04 Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA
2005 Hon. John Edwards Director, Poverty Center, Work and 5/7/05 Opportunity, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
2005 Dr. Michael Eric Dyson Professor of Humanities, University of 12/17/05 Pennsylvania, Washington, DC
2006 Dr. Dennis P. Kimbro Author, Scholar, Atlanta, GA 5/6/06
2006 Evangelist Shirley Caesar Pastor, Mount Calvary Word of Faith 12/16/06 Church, Raleigh, NC
2007 Atty. Timothy Proctor General Counsel, Diogeo PLC London 5/5/07 Norwalk, CT
2007 Dr. Julianne Malveaux President, Bennett College for Women 12/15/07 Greensboro, NC
2008 Mr. Vernon Jones Chief Executive Officer Dekalb County 5/3/08 Dekalb County, GA
2008 Ms. Patricia Russell-McCloud President, Russell-McCloud & Associates 12/13/08 Washington, DC
2009 Mr. Mark H. Morial President and Chief Executive Officer
5/16/09 National Urban League, New York, NY
2009 Bishop Vashti M. McKenzie Presiding Prelate, Thirteenth Episcopal 12/12/09 District, Memphis, TN
2010 Mr. Tom Joyner Entrepreneur, Entertainer and Philanthropist 5/18/2010 Dallas, TX
2010 The Hon. G.K. Butterfield US House of Representatives 12/11/10 North Carolina First District, Washington, DC
2011 The Hon. John Lewis US House of Representatives 5/13/11 Georgia Fifth District, Atlanta, GA
2011 Mr. John Silvanus Wilson Executive Director, White House Initiative 12/10/11 on HBCU, Washington, DC
2012 Rev. William Barber President NC State Conference of the 5/12/12 NAACP, Goldsboro, NC
2012 Ms. Cynthia Marshall President, NC AT & T 12/8/12 Greensboro, NC
2013 Mr. Ed Gordon Host Nationally Syndicated Radio Program
5/11/13 New York, NY
2013 Dr. Annika Barnett Pediatrician, Chapel Hill, NC 12/14/13
2014 Attorney Lezli Baskerville Civil Rights Lawyer 5/10/14 Washington, DC
2014 Dr. Ibrahim Cisse Instructor, Massachusetts Institute of 12/13/14 Technology, Cambridge, MA
2015 Hon. Arnie Duncan US Secretary of Dept. of Education 5/9/15 Washington, DC
2015 President Tom Ross UNC System Office President 12/12/15 Chapel Hill, NC
2016 Hon. Cory Booker US Senator – New Jersey
5/14/16 Washington, DC
2016 Ms. Valeisha Butterfield Jones Black Community Engagement for Google 12/10/16 and CEO Women in Entertainment, Empowerment Network New York, NY
2017 Mrs. Joan Higginbotham Retired NASA Astronaut 5/13/17 Charlotte, NC
2017 Ms. Tisha Powell Anchor and Reporter – WTVD
12/9/17 Durham, NC
2018 The Hon. Chaz Beasley NC House of Representatives, District 92 5/12/18 Raleigh, NC
2018 The Hon. H.M. Michaux, Jr. NC House of Representatives, District 31 12/8/18 Raleigh, NC
Year |
Speaker |
Title |
2019 Dr. William J. Barber Civil Rights Activist 5/11/19 Goldsboro, NC
2019 Mrs. Ruth E. Carter Academy Award Winning Costume 12/14/19 Designer, Los Angeles, CA
2020 COMMENCEMENT VIRTUAL BECAUSE OF COVID 19
2021 Ms. Jasmine Crowe Award Winning Social Entrepreneur and 5/8/21 Businesswoman, Atlanta, GA
2021 Dr. Naima A. Stennett Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician 12/11/21 Chapel Hill, NC
2022 Ms. Agnes Moss Leader, National Black Movie Assoc. 5/6/22 Washington, NC