Timeline of Sarah Lawrence Commencement Speakers and Senior Lecturers
This is a timeline of speakers at Sarah Lawrence commencement ceremonies from the class of 1929 to the present. Senior lecturers, a tradition inaugurated in 1989, are also included where applicable. An asterisk (*) denotes that a copy of the lecturer's speech is available in the commencement folder in the Archives.
Click on the photos to view a larger version.
Jump to: 1940 - 1950 - 1960 - 1970 - 1980 - 1990 - 2000
- 1929
- Henry Noble MacCracken
1929
Ruth Wilmot Anderson, the sole graduate at the first commencement.
- 1930
- John H. Finley
- 1931
- Constance Warren
- 1932
- Newton D. Baker
1932
1932 commencement schedule.
- 1933
- John J. Coss
- 1934
- Walton Hale Hamilton
- 1935
- Alvin Sanders Johnson
- 1936
- George E. Vincent
1936
1936 commencement program.
- 1937
- Elliott Dunlap Smith
- 1938
- Luther Halsey Gulick, Helen Merrell Lynd, President Constance Warren
- 1939
- Henry Bruere
- 1940
- Stuart Chase
1940
White robes signify diploma recipients and black robes signify B.A. recipients.
Photographer unknown. - 1941
- Cora DuBois, William H. Schuman
- 1942
- Eugene Meyer, Leo Gershoy
- 1943
- Archibald MacLeish
1943
Diploma recipients, 1943.
Photograph by Rizzolla Photo Service. - 1944
- President Constance Warren
- 1945
- Henry Noble MacCracken
- 1946
- Leo Gershoy (Spring Term)
Arthur Lee Kinsolving - 1947
- Harlow Shapley
- 1948
- Frederick Lewis Allen
- 1949
- Howard Mumford Jones
- 1950
- Her Excellency Shrimati Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
1950
Class of 1950 at commencement.
Photographer unknown. - 1951
- Henry Steele Commager
- 1952
- Frederick Burkhardt
- 1953
- George N. Shuster
- 1954
- Justice William O. Douglas
1954
Justice William O. Douglas delivers the 1954 commencement speech.
Photograph by Bernard Dordick. - 1955
- Honorable Ahmed Bokhara
- 1956
- Robert Frost
1956
Robert Frost at the 1956 commencement.
Photograph by Susan Greenburg. - 1957
- Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt
- 1958
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- 1959
- Herbert Block
- 1960
- Harrison Brown
- 1961
- Max Lerner
- 1962
- Theodor Reik
- 1963
- Herbert Marcuse
1963
B.A. degree recipients, 1963.
Photograph by Gary Gladstone. - 1964
- Edward P. Morgan
- 1965
- Sargent Shriver
- 1966
- Linus Pauling
- 1967
- Elizabeth Sewell
- 1968
- John Summerskill
- 1969
- Charles DeCarlo
- 1970
- Margaret Mead
1970
President Charles DeCarlo handing out degrees during the 1970 commencement.
Photograph by Gary Gladstone. - 1971
- Rene Dubos
- 1972
- Jacquelyn Mattfeld
- 1973
- Morris Abram
- 1974
- Rudolf Arnheim
- 1975
- Muriel Rukeyser
1975
Muriel Rukeyser, speaker, at the 1975 commencement.
Photographer unknown. - 1976
- Joan Kelly-Gadol
- 1977
- Colleen Dewhurst
- 1978
- Bella Abzug
- 1979
- Stanley Kunitz
- 1980
- Robert MacNeil
- 1981
- George Wald
1981
Faculty procession at the 1981 commencement.
Photograph by Ken Sofer. - 1982
- Frances FitzGerald
- 1983
- E.L. Doctorow
- 1984
- Jane Alexander
- 1985
- Meredith Monk
- 1986
- Tracy Kidder
- 1987
- Sir Claus Moser
- 1988
- Toni Morrison
1988
President Alice Stone Ilchman at the 1988 commencement.
Photograph by Sven Martson. - 1989
- Renee Poussaint
Senior Lecturer: Grace Paley - 1990
- Paul Newman
Senior Lecturer: Spalding Gray - 1991
- Jill Ker Conway
Senior Lecturer: Shirley Kaplan - 1992
- Henry Cisneros
Senior Lecturer: Shahnaz Rouse * - 1993
- Donna E. Shalala
Senior Lecturer: Ilja wachs1993
Shirley Kaplan (left) with Daphne Dumas at the 1993 commencement.
Photograph by Sven Martson. - 1994
- Sidney Poitier
Senior Lecturer: Pauline Watts - 1995
- Joan Konner
Senior Lecturer: Priscilla Murolo * - 1996
- Cornel West
Senior Lecturer: Komozi Woodard * - 1997
- Peter Goldmark
Senior Lecturer: Regina Arnold * - 1998
- Jane Alexander and Johnetta Cole
Senior Lecturer: Chikwenye Ogunyemi * - 1999
- Joanne Braxton
Senior Lecturer: Michael Davis * - 2000
- Ian Lipkin
Senior Lecturer: Suzanne Gardinier *2000
President Michele Tolela Myers with Ian Lipkin, speaker, at the 2000 commencement.
Photograph by Sven Martson. - 2001
- Barbara Walters
Senior Lecturer: Raymond Seidelman * - 2002
- Anna Quindlen
Senior Lecturer: Nancy Baker * - 2003
- Shirley M. Tilghan
Senior Lecturer: Michael Moore * - 2004
- Grace Paley
Senior Lecturer: Joseph Forte - 2005
- Susan Meiselas '70
Senior Lecturer: Lyde Sizer * - 2006
- Ann Patchett '85
Senior Lecturer: Fred Smoler - 2007
- Alice M. Greenwald '73
Senior Lecturer: Ilja Wachs - 2008
- Jessica Lange
Senior Lecturer: Angel Moger