Commencements

The speaker was Ira Remsen, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and co-discoverer of the artificial sweetener saccharin.

The speaker was Colonel Carroll Davidson Wright, a statistician and the first U.S. Commissioner of Labor.

The speaker was Dr. Truman J. Backus, president of the Packer Institute in Brooklyn, NY.

The speaker was Walter Hines Page, a member of the Watauga Club and editor of the Forum, World's Work, and Atlantic Monthly.

The speaker was William W. Kitchin, U.S. Congressman and governor of North Carolina.

Orations were given by J. Rhodes Smith, Edward G. Porter Jr., James O. Morgan, Arthur T. Kenyon, and Oscar L. Bagley.

Orations were given by W. S. Tomlinson, J. C. Beavers, J. P. Lovill, A. E. Escott, and R. H. Tillman.

Orations were given by C. L. Garner of Beaufort, J. E. Turlington of Clinton and W. B. Truitt of Greensboro.

Orations were given by Maurice E. Glasser, Percy L. Gainey, John D. Grady, and Frank H. Brown.

Orations were given by Thorne M. Clark, William H. Eaton, Samuel H. Neely, Robert A. Shope, and future Chancellor John W. Harrelson.

Orations were given by C. E. Bell, J. H. Brown, K. Bryan, and valedictorian J. P. Quinerly.

Orations were given by S. J. Kirby, B. M. Potter, T. H. Stafford, and valedictorian H. L. Taylor.

Orations were given by T. J. Hewitt, H. L. Joslyn, T. R. Parish, and valedictorian F. S. Hales. The commencement speaker was future President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was then Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

Orations were given by T. L. Bayne Jr., L. John, W. R. Patton, D. E. Robers, and valedictorian M. R. Quinerly.

Orations were given by G. L. Jeffers, A. L. Teachey, J. R. Williams, and valedictorian F. K. Kramer.

Orations were given by S. G. Crater, R. V. Davis, K. L. Greenfield, and valedictorian K. Sloan.

The speaker was the Honorable Henry Morgenthau. Orations were given by A. S. Cline, R. W. McGeachy, and valedictorian W. K. Scott.

The speaker was Clarence Ousley, a writer and journalist from Texas.

The speaker was Assistant Secretary of Agriculture G. I. Christie. S. O. Bauersfeld gave the Valedictory Address. The first honorary degree was awarded to W. F. Massey, the first professor of horticulture.

Orations were given by H. D. Crockford, J. M. Henley, R. D. Pillsbury, O. Ramsaur, A. L. White Jr., S. K. Wright and Valedictorian D. B. Worth.

Orations were given by E. W. Constable, J. G. Evans, D. A. Floyd, W. C. McCoy, M. P. Moss, M. L. Rhodes, and valedictorian W. C. Eagles.

The commencement address was given by Aaron Sapiro, a leader in the farmer's cooperative movement. The baccalaureate sermon was given by J. O. Atkinson. Orations were given by Rev. J. Vincent Knight (benediction), C. F. Churchill, J. A. Glazener, W. N. Hicks, S. F. Mauney Jr., W. L. Pickens, E. C. Tatum, and E. G. Singletary (valedictorian).

The commencement speaker was Dr. Royal S. Copeland, a senator from New York and the Commissioner of Health of New York. Dr. R. B. Peery gave the baccalaureate sermon. The valedictorian was William Jennings Jr.

The commencement speaker was Woodbridge Ferris, senator and governor from Michigan. He also founded various schools and colleges bearing his name.

The speaker was Dr. Frank Thilly, a philosophy professor from Cornell University. The baccalaureate sermon was given on June 7th by Dr. W. Taliaferro Thompson. Thompson Gymnasium was dedicated as part of the commencement festivities. Engineer Charles E. Waddell was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science.

The baccalaureate address was given by Congressman James B. Aswell from Louisiana. Other speakers included Governor O. Max Gardner, Dr. Edwin Mims from Vanderbilt University, and Bishop William Fraser McDowell of Washington, D.C. The D. H. Hill Jr. Library (then housed in Brooks Hall) was also dedicated as part of the commencement festivities. Dr. Thomas Nelson, dean of the Textiles School, was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science.

The baccalaureate address was given by Robert Archer Cooper, former governor of South Carolina. M. Ashby Jones, pastor of Second Baptist Church of Saint Louis, gave the baccalaureate sermon. F. E. Plummer was valedictorian.

The commencement speaker was Frederick M. Snyder of Johns Hopkins University. The baccalaureate sermon was given on June 3rd by Rev. Abram Edward Cory, pastor of the Church of the Disciples of Christ in Kinston, NC.

The commencement speaker was Arthur M. Greene Jr., dean of engineering at Princeton University. Reverend Henry Covington of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Norfolk, VA, gave the baccalaureate sermon on June 2nd. Honorary degrees were awarded to Stuart Warren Cramer, president of Cramerton Cotton Mills, and William Dollison Faucette, chief engineer at the Seaboard Air Line Railway Company.

This was the first graduation ceremony held for summer school. They did not receive numbering like spring commencements. Dr. Charles E. Brewer gave the address to the graduating class.

The commencement speaker was Dr. Lothrop Stoddard, an author from Brookline, MA. Dr. W. Walter Peele, from First Methodist Church in Charlotte, gave the baccalaureate sermon on June 8th.

The commencement address was given by Dr. Edwin McNeill Poteat Jr. He was president of Colgate-Rochester Divinity School and later pastor of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh. The invocation was given by Dr. Milton A. Barber.

The commencement address was given by John J. Tigert, president of the University of Florida and Secretary of Education under President Woodrow Wilson. The baccalaureate sermon was given on June 7th by Dr. Gould Wickey of the United Lutheran Churches.

The commencement address was given by Dr. John H. Cook, dean of the School of Education of the North Carolina College for Women. The invocation was given by H. A. Cox of Saint Saviour's Church.

The commencement address was given by Merle Thorpe, economist and editor of Nation's Business. The baccalaureate sermon was given by Reverend D. P. Gilmour of the First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington on June 5th. Honorary degrees were awarded to Governor O. Max Gardner, Reuben B. Robertson (president of Champion Fibre Company), and James A. Powell (president of W. S. Barstow and Company).

The speaker was Dr. Robert B. Maltby of Washington, DC. The invocation was given by Rev. J. R. Walker.

Frank Porter Graham, first president of the consolidated UNC System, gave the baccalaureate address. The Reverend William Charles McDaniel, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, gave the baccalaureate sermon on June 11th.

There was no formal commencement address but a series of informal talks given by Dr. Frank Porter Graham, president of the UNC Consolidated System, and Dr. E. C. Brooks, president of State College. Episcopal Bishop Edwin Penick gave the baccalaureate sermon on June 10th.

A series of short talks were given by Governor J. C. B. Ehringhaus, Frank Porter Graham, and Colonel John W. Harrelson, who would later become chancellor. Edwin Dubose Mouzon gave the baccalaureate sermon on June 6th.

The commencement address was given by Bennett E. Geer, president of Furman University. Dr. Edgar Gammon of Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte gave the baccalaureate sermon on June 7th.

The commencement address was given by Dr. Arthur E. Morgan, chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The baccalaureate sermon was given by Rev. Sankey Lee Blanton of the First Baptist Church in Wilmington. Frank Porter Graham also participated in commencement exercises. Honorary degrees were awarded to chemist Wightman Wells Garner and engineer Arthur Ernest Morgan.

The commencement speaker was L. R. Powell Jr. of the Seaboard Air Line Railway. Honorary degees of Doctor of Engineering were awarded to Charles Irvine Burkholder of Duke Power and William McKinney Piatt, consulting engineer for the city of Durham.

The baccalaureate address was given by Governor Clyde R. Hoey, who helped found the Textiles School. The baccalaureate sermon was given on June 2nd by Rev. John R. Williams of Atlanta, GA, an alumnus of State College. An honorary Doctor of Textile Science was awarded to Charles Albert Cannon, president of the Board of Directors of Cannon Mills. Clement Leinster Garner, alumnus and geodetic engineer, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Engineering.

Dr. Russell, dean emeritus of Duke's Divinity School, gave the baccalaureate sermon on May 28th. Lieutenant Governor R. L. Harris gave the commencement address and Frank Porter Graham made closing remarks. A Doctor of Textile Science was awarded to David Clark, director of several North Carolina mills. An honorary Doctor of Engineering was awarded to Louis Valvelle Sutton, director of the Carolina Power and Light Company.

The speakers were Governor R. Gregg Cherry and Greater University President Frank Porter Graham. The baccalaureate sermon was given on June 2nd by Dr. Daniel A. Poling, pastor of the Temple Church in Philadelphia. Honorary degrees were awarded to James Edward Millis of the Adams-Millis Corporation; Victor Arthur Rice, dean of the agriculture at Massachusetts State College; and Roger Williams, naval officer and industrialist.

The speakers were Governor R. Gregg Cherry and Greater University President Frank Porter Graham. The baccalaureate sermon was delivered on June 8 by Rev. Thomas Henry Wright, the Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Eastern Carolina. Honorary degrees were awarded to Charles Stainback of the Westinghouse Electric Manufacturing Company; Harry H. Straus of the Escusta Paper Corporation; John Redd Hutcheson, president of Virginia Polytechnic Institute; and John Washington Clark, textile manufacturer.

Lynton Tayes Ballentine, lieutenant governor of North Carolina, and Greater University President Frank Porter Graham were the principal speakers. Honorary degrees were awarded to James Morgan Sherman of the Department of Dairy Industry at Cornell University; Franklin Warren Hobbs, industrialist and educational benefactor of Boston, MA; William Henry Sullivan, engineer and civic leader of Greensboro, NC; and Thomas Everett Browne, State Director of Vocational Education in North Carolina.

The commencement speaker was W. Kerr Scott, governor of North Carolina. He also received an honorary Doctor of Agriculture. Rev. Clarence E. Norman, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Raleigh, gave the invocation. An honorary Doctor of Engineering was awarded to Felix Stanton Hales, authority on rail transportation. An honorary Doctor of Textile Science was awarded to Albert Gallatin Myers, president of Textiles-Incorporated in Gastonia, NC.

The speaker was Governor W. Kerr Scott. The invocation was given by Rev. C. S. McCoy, director of the Wesley Foundation in Raleigh.

The speakers were Governor W. Kerr Scott and president of the Greater University, Gordon Gray. The invocation was given by Edward J. Agsten, pastor of West Raleigh Presbyterian Church. Honorary degrees were awarded to Ira Obed Schaub, director of the NC Agricultural Research Service; Clarence Poe, editor of the Progressive Farmer; Harry Parker Hammond, dean of engineering at Penn State College; lumber industrialist Colin George Spencer; and textile scientist Frederick Bonnet.

Remarks to the graduating class were given by Class President Roger Post Hill and president of the Consolidated University William Friday. Honorary degrees were awarded to Leroy Brothers, Thomas Dolliver Church, Harold Dunbar Cooley, Wilson Durward Leggett Jr., and Clifford Willard Tilson.

Remarks to the graduating class were given by president of the Consolidated University William Friday and Class President James M. Peden Jr. Future governor Jim Hunt (then president of Student Government) also participated in the ceremony. The baccalaureate sermon was given by Dr. James T. Cleland, dean of the Chapel at Duke University. Honorary degrees were awarded to Halbert McNair Jones, William Gardner van Note, and Conrad Louis Wirth.

Remarks to the graduating class were given by president of the Consolidated University William Friday and Class President Arron W. E. Capel II.

Remarks to the graduating class were made by president of the Consolidated University William Friday and Class President Arron W. E. Capel II. Dr. Carlyle Marney, minister of Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, gave the baccalaureate sermon. Honorary degrees were awarded to agricultural scientist Willard Holden Darst; Henry Burton Robinson, director of Carolina Power and Light Company; and silviculturist Francis Xavier Schumacher

Informal remarks were given by Governor Luther Hodges, president of the Consolidated University William Friday, and Class President John Phillips Carlton. The baccalaureate sermon was given by Rev. Theodore O. Wedel, canon of Washington Cathedral. Honorary degrees were awarded to William Dunford Appel, Jonathan Worth Daniels, Granville Moorman Read, Oliver Reagan Rowe, Burrhus Frederic Skinner, and Thomas Benton Upchurch.

The commencement speaker was Julius A. Stratton, president of MIT. Governor Terry Sanford and Consolidated University President William Friday also gave remarks to the graduating class. Honorary degrees were awarded to Laurence Hasbrouck Snyder, Raymond Albert Wheeler, Sterling Brown Hendricks, and Lennox Polk McLendon.

The commencement speaker was David E. Bell, director of the Agency for International Development at the U.S. State Department. Consolidated University President William Friday, Governor Terry Sanford, and Chancellor John Caldwell also gave remarks to the graduating class. Honorary degrees were awarded to George McMillan Darrow, Terry Sanford, Eli Sternberg, and Bertram Whittier Wells.

The commencement speaker was Clifford M. Hardin, chancellor of the University of Nebraska. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by Governor Terry Sanford and University of North Carolina President William Friday. Honorary degrees were awarded to Henry Armfield Foscue, William Dallas Herring, Louis Isadore Kahn, Lillian Parker Wallace, and David Stathem Weaver.

Chancellor John T. Caldwell gave the commencement address. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by UNC President William Friday and Governor Dan K. Moore. Honorary degrees were awarded to Leonard David Baver, Charles Francis Goldthwait, John Harold Lampe, and Jasper Leonidas Stuckey.

Chancellor John T. Caldwell gave the commencement address. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by UNC President William Friday and Governor Dan K. Moore. Honorary degrees were awarded to James Gordon Hanes Jr., James Herbert Jensen, Rudolph Ivey Mintz, Charles Scott Mitchell, and Frances Gray Patton.

The commencement address was given by Chancellor John T. Caldwell. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by UNC President William Friday and Governor Dan K. Moore. Honorary degrees were awarded to David Stanton Coltrane, Verne Lester Harper, George Richard Herbert, Joseph Grant Knapp, and Francis Peter Worsley Winteringham.

The commencement speaker was Chancellor John Tyler Caldwell. President of the UNC System William Friday and Governor Dan K. Moore also gave remarks to the graduating class. Honorary degrees were awarded to Ralph Waldo Cummings, George Maurice Hill, Willis King, and Nello Leguy Teer Jr.

Mark O. Hatfield, senator from Oregon, gave the commencement address. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by UNC President William Friday and Governor Robert W. Scott.

The commencement speaker was Dr. John A. Hannah, administrator for the Agency for International Development and previously president of Michigan State University. UNC President William Friday and Governor Robert W. Scott also gave remarks to the graduating class.

The commencement address was given by Chancellor John T. Caldwell. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by UNC President William Friday.

The commencement speaker was William D. Ruckelshaus, the first Environmental Protection Agency administrator. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by UNC President William Friday. An honorary Doctor of Science was awarded to agronomy professor Gordon Kennedy Middleton.

The commencement speaker was Chancellor John T. Caldwell. UNC President William Friday also gave remarks to the graduating class.

The commencement address was given by Chancellor John T. Caldwell. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by UNC President William Friday.

Chancellor John T. Caldwell gave the commencement address. UNC President William Friday also gave remarks to the graduating class. An Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws was awarded to Chancellor Caldwell in advance of his retirement.

The commencement address was given by the Honorable Sam J. Ervin Jr., U.S. Senator from North Carolina. Remarks to the graduating class were also given by UNC President William Friday.

Governor Jim Hunt gave the commencement address. Calvin Cunningham gave an address to his fellow graduates, and UNC President William Friday also gave remarks.

Roy H. Park, alumnus and founder of Park Communications, Inc., gave the commencement address. Paul William Saxe gave the Fellow Graduates address and UNC President William Friday also made remarks.

Dr. E. T. York Jr., chancellor of the State University System of Florida, gave the commencement address. Derek Carl Meyer gave the Address to Fellow Graduates, and UNC President William Friday also gave remarks. An honorary Doctor of Humanities was awarded to Lodwick Charles Hartley, head of the English department for more than 30 years.

Dr. William E. Davis, president of the University of New Mexico, gave the commencement address. Donna Foglia gave the Address to Fellow Graduates, and UNC President William Friday also made remarks.

The commencement speaker was Dr. Frank Rhodes, president of Cornell University. Terri D. Lambert gave the Address to Fellow Graduates and UNC President William Friday also made remarks.

The commencement speaker was Claude Ramsey, chairman and president of Akzona Incorporated. Stacey L. Schaeffer gave the Address to Fellow Graduates and E. Walton Jones, vice president for Research and Public Service Programs for the University of North Carolina System, gave remarks.

The commencement address was given by Bill Monroe, moderator and producer of the TV show "Meet the Press." Craig Kellogg Utesch gave the Address to Fellow Graduates and UNC President William Friday also made remarks.

The commencement speaker was Dr. Abraham Holtzman, professor of political science and public administration at NC State. UNC President William Friday also gave remarks. An honorary Doctor of Humane Letters was awarded to agricultural economist Theodore William Schultz.

The commencement speaker was Dr. Leo Bustad, dean emeritus of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University. Honorary degrees were awarded to Harwell Hamilton Harris and Dr. Samuel D. Proctor. UNC president William Friday also gave remarks to the graduating class.

William Friday, president emeritus of the University of North Carolina System, gave the commencement address. A. Jay Everette gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. An honorary degree was awarded to Philip Smith, executive officer of the National Academy of Sciences and former presidential science advisor.

For the Centennial Commencement, Chancellor Bruce Poulton gave the commencement address. Former Chancellors Bostian, Caldwell, and Thomas also attended the first commencement held in Carter-Finley Stadium. Samuel Spilman gave the Address to Fellow Graduates.

The commencement speaker was Edwin Newman, a former news anchor for NBC. Laura G. Lunsford gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. An honorary Doctor of Humane Letters was awarded to professor of English Richard G. Walser.

Governor James G. Martin gave the commencement address and Mr. Wiley Jones Loflin gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. An Honorary Doctor of Science was awarded to Gertrude Elion, a Burroughs Wellcome Co. researcher who won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology.

The first woman commencement speaker was poet and author Maya Angelou. UNC President C. D. Spangler also made remarks. Timothy Van Cooke gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. During the ceremony, a Cessna airplane flew over Carter-Finley Stadium with a "Fire Monteith" banner, protesting the recent appointment of Larry Monteith as chancellor. This is the last numbered commencement.

In 1990, the university instituted a fall commencement in addition to the spring ceremony. The speaker was Chancellor Larry Monteith. Lora Ann Long gave the Address to Fellow Graduates.

Beginning in 1991, the commencement numbering was dropped from the programs. From then on, there were Spring Commencements and Fall Graduation Exercises. The commencement speaker was former UNC System president William Friday. Graham Boyd gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to William Friday and Nyle C. Brady.

The speaker was General Maxwell R. Thurman, an NC State alumnus. The Address to Fellow Graduates was given by David Carlone.

The commencement speaker was Chancellor Emeritus John Caldwell. UNC System President C. D. Spangler Jr. and Board of Governors Chairman Samuel Poole also made remarks. Dain E. Vines gave the Address to Fellow Graduates.

Dr. John Hope Franklin, James B. Duke Professor of History Emeritus at Duke University, gave the address. Michael V. Carlone gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. An honorary degree of Doctor of Agriculture was awarded to Eugene Butler.

The commencement speaker was Governor James B. Hunt. UNC System President C. D. Spangler Jr. also made remarks. Patricia Shutt gave the Address to Fellow Graduates, and an honorary degree of Doctor of Sciences was awarded to Dr. G. Wallace Giles.

The speaker was Dr. Ernest L. Boyer, president of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Cynthia Zuckerman gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. An honorary Doctor of Humane Letters was awarded to Dr. Ernest Boyer.

The commencement speaker was Elizabeth Dole. She was president of the American Red Cross at the time and later became a U.S. senator. Jacob A. Brown gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Dr. John Hope Franklin and Frank Hawkins Kenan.

The speaker was Dr. Albert Carnesale, acting president and provost of Harvard University. David C. Rouzer gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Dr. Benjamin S. Carson (Doctor of Humane Letters) and Mr. Edward E. Hood (Doctor of Humane Letters).

Dr. E. Gordon Gee, president of Ohio State University, gave the commencement address. Eddie Lee Goins gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Dr. William Brantley Aycock (Doctor of Humane Letters) and Gen. Maxwell Reid Thurman (Doctor of Humane Letters).

The speaker was the Honorable Burley B. Mitchell Jr., Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Megan Elizabeth Jones gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Dr. Raymond H. Dawson (Doctor of Humane Letters) and Burley B. Mitchell, Jr. (Doctor of Humane Letters). Tribute was paid to former Chancellor John Caldwell who passed away in October 1995.

Fred McFeely Rogers of the TV program "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" gave the commencement address. Andrew Michael Crocker gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. An honorary degree was awarded to Fred Rogers (Doctor of Humane Letters).

Dr. Jerry Punch, doctor, television sports reporter, and NC State alumnus, gave the commencement address. Ms. Ghazale Sharifi-Mehr gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. An honorary degree was awarded to Dr. Prezell Russell Robinson.

The Honorable J. D. Hayworth, U.S. congressman from Arizona, gave the commencement address. Ms. Detria Lakeem Renee Stowe gave the Address to Fellow Graduates.

The speaker was Dr. Marcus Martin, professor and chairman of emergency medicine at the University of Virginia. Dr. Martin was also a NC State alumnus and founding member of the NC State Board of Visitors. Tammy Dawn Hayes gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Dr. Albert Carnesale and Dr. Ben Rankin Morris.

The commencement speaker was General Henry Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Patricia Festin gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. General Shelton also received a honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, and a honorary Doctor of Humane Letters was awarded to Edgar S. Woolard Jr., CEO of DuPont.

Benjamin S. Ruffin, chairman of the Board of Governors, gave the address. Bernal E. Hall Jr. gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to former Chancellor Joab Langston Thomas (Doctor of Humane Letters) and Dr. Nicolaas Bloembergen (Doctor of Sciences).

The commencement speaker was Senator and NC State alumnus John Edwards. Ray Starling gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to author Kaye Gibbons and Katharine Stinson, the first woman to graduate with an engineering degree from NC State.

This was the first ceremony held in the Entertainment and Sports Arena (later PNC Arena). The speaker was Gerald J. Butters, president of Lucent Technologies' Optical Networking Group. Lucent recently announced that they would build an optical networking and development facility on Centennial Campus. Lori Denise Wagoner gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. A honorary degree was awarded to Dr. John Thomas Biggers.

The commencement speaker was the Honorable Donna Shalala, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Luke Perry gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Donna Shalala and the Reverend Billy Graham.

The speaker was the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame. Sandra Thomason gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Mr. Ray Anderson, Dr. F. Albert Cotton, Dr. Peter C. Doherty, the Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh, Hon. Hipolito Mejia, and Mr. Vernon Owens.

The commencement speaker was Dr. Harm de Blij, a geographer for both ABC and NBC. Henry Ward gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Dr. de Blij, Dr. Jane E. Henney, Ms. Ruby Vann Crumpler McSwain, Dr. T. Ming Chu, Dr. Walter M. Fitch, and Dr. Neal F. Lane.

The speaker was Hon. James B. Hunt Jr., former Governor of North Carolina. Teresa Murchie gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Robert H. Buckman, Alan T. Dickson, Charles E. Hammer, James B. Hunt Jr., Larry K. Monteith, and Douglas M. Orr.

Mr. William James Raspberry, Washington Post Pulitzer prize-winning columnist, gave the commencement address. Jason Grissom gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to James P. Comer, James J. Duderstadt, Lee Smith, Charles M. Vest, and William J. Raspberry.

The speaker was Dr. James H. Goodnight, CEO and founder of the SAS Institute. Caitlyn Boon gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to James H. Goodnight and Thomas Karl.

The commencement speaker was Emmy and Peabody-award winning TV host Phil Donahue. Elizabeth Rose Gutierrez gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Ken Burns, William G. Hill, E. Carroll Joyner, and Cyma Rubin.

The speaker was Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She was also the first African American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT and the first African American woman to become chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Address to Fellow Graduates was given by John Victor O'Janpa. Honorary degrees were awarded to Shirley Jackson, Dan K. McNeill, John P. Sall, and E. Travis York.

Lieutenant General Dan K. McNeill gave the commencement address. General McNeill was a commanding officer of military forces in Afghanistan. Lauren Welch gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Eva Clayton (Doctor of Humane Letters), Harvey Littleton (Doctor of Fine Arts) and Steve Wozniak (Doctor of Sciences).

The speaker was R. Scott Wallinger, retired senior vice president of MeadWestvaco corporation. Nathaniel Charles Horner gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Scott Wallinger, Richard E. Benedick, and Robert Ward.

The commencement speaker was Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, president of Bennett College in Greensboro. She was the first African American to serve as chair of the board of the United Way. Anna Edens gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Richard Meier (Doctor of Fine Arts), Patrick Moore (Doctor of Sciences), and Johnnetta Cole (Doctor of Humane Letters).

The speaker was William R. McNeal, superintendent of Wake County Public Schools. Austin Leigh Duncan gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Dean Kamen (Doctor of Sciences), W. Duke Kimbrell (Doctor of Humane Letters), Hugh Morton (Doctor of Humane Letters), and William R. McNeal (Doctor of Humane Letters).

The commencement speaker was Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences. Jared P. Milrad gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to David Effron (Doctor of Fine Arts), J. Stuart Hunter (Doctor of Sciences), Daniel L. McFadden (Doctor of Sciences), John Ruffin (Doctor of Sciences), George S. Tolley (Doctor of Sciences), and Ralph J. Cicerone (Doctor of Sciences).

The speaker was the Honorable Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, chairman of the American Red Cross and CEO of Pace Communications. Benton William Langley gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Roscoe R. Braham Jr. (Doctor of Sciences), Lynn Margulis (Doctor of Sciences), Roger Milliken (Doctor of Sciences), Rex M. Nettleford (Doctor of Fine Arts), and Bonnie McElveen-Hunter (Doctor of Humane Letters).

The commencement speaker was Dr. Kenneth Olden, head of the Metastasis Section at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and visiting professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. Ronald Johnson gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Eduardo Catalano (Doctor of Fine Arts), Roger Milliken (Doctor of Sciences), and Kenneth Olden (Doctor of Sciences).

Erskine B. Bowles, University of North Carolina System president, gave the commencement address. Christina Johnson gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Pat Mora (Doctor of Humane Letters), Richard G. Robb (Doctor of Humane Letters), and C.D. Spangler Jr. (Doctor of Humane Letters).

The speaker was William ("Bill") L. Cowher, NC State alumnus and former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Address to Fellow Graduates was given by James E. O. Hankins II. Honorary degrees were awarded to Freeman A. Hrabowski III (Doctor of Sciences) and Carl E. Wieman (Doctor of Sciences).

Dr. John Seely Brown, co-chairman of the Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation, gave the commencement address. He previously was chief scientist of Xerox Corporation. John C. Mickey, Jr. gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Sarita E. Brown (Doctor of Humane Letters), Wayne A. Fuller (Doctor of Sciences), and John Seely Brown (Doctor of Sciences).

The speaker was Rajendra K. Pachauri, a world leader in the study of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while Pachauri was chairman. Emma Norton gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Jack Ward Thomas (Doctor of Sciences), G. Smedes York (Doctor of Humane letters), and Rajendra K. Pachauri (Doctor of Sciences).

The commencement speaker was Charles P. Rose, host of the Charlie Rose Show. Lianne Gonsalves gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to I. King Jordon (Doctor of Humane Letters), William Julius Wilson (Doctor of Humane Letters) and Charles P. Rose, Jr. (Doctor of Humane Letters).

The speaker was General Raymond T. Odierno, commander of the United States Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. He was also commanding general of the Multi-National Force in Iraq from 2008 to 2010. Heidi Sullivan gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Deanna Bowling Marcum (Doctor of Humane letters), Raymond T. Odierno (Doctor of Humane letters), and Richard Sapper (Doctor of Fine Arts).

The commencement speaker was James E. Rogers, president and CEO of Duke Energy. Kimberley Spence gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Robert Weiss (Doctor of Fine Arts) and James E. Rogers (Doctor of Humane Letters).

The speaker was Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Nobel laureate for his work on climate change. He was also director-general of the Energy and Resources Institute. Lindsey Pullum gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Ray A. Buchanan (Doctor of Humane Letters Degree), Robert G. Stanton (Doctor of Sciences Degree), and Rajendra K. Pachauri (Doctor of Sciences Degree).

The commencement speaker was Philip Rivers, quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and NC State alumnus. He broke many records during his four years as quarterback at NC State. Jason Cooper gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Robert B. Jordan III (Doctor of Sciences) and David H. Murdock (Doctor of Sciences).

The commencement speaker was Dickson B. "Doc" Hendley, founder and president of "Wine to Water," a non-profit organization aimed at providing clean water to those in need. Garik Sadovy gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. An honorary degree was awarded to Dr. James H. Woodward (Doctor of Sciences).

The commencement speaker was NC State alumnus Philip G. Freelon. Freelon was founder and president of the Freelon Group, an award-winning architectural firm that specialized in higher education, science and technology, and cultural institution projects. Jessica Ekstrom gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Indra K. Nooyi (Doctor of Humane Letters) and Michael Wingfield (Doctor of Sciences).

The speaker was NC State Chancellor Randolph "Randy" Woodson. Ryan Lawrence Coble gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Anthony Badger (Doctor of Humane Letters) and Hayden White (Doctor of Humane Letters).

The commencement speaker was David S. Ferriero, 10th archivist of the United States. Nasser Alexander Koucheki gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Thomas H. Sayre (Doctor of Fine Arts) and David S. Ferriero (Doctor of Human Letters).

The speaker was Vivian Howard, owner of the "Chef & the Farmer" restaurant in Kinston, NC, and star of the PBS reality show "A Chef's Life." The Address to Fellow Graduates was given by Bethaney Lewis. An honorary degree was awarded to Dr. George Whitesides.

The commencement speaker was France A. Cordova, director of the National Science Foundation and president emerita of Purdue University. Lela Johnston gave the Address to Fellow Graduates. Honorary degrees were awarded to Brigadier General Clara L. Adams-Ender and Dr. Betsy Bennett.

The commencement speaker was Karl Eikenberry, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and director of Stanford University’s U.S.-Asia Security Initiative. Honorary degrees were awarded to Eikenberry and Dr. Pedro Sanchez, director of the Agriculture and Food Security Center at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.

The commencement speaker was Admiral Michelle Howard of the U.S. Navy, the first African-American woman to become a four star admiral. Honorary degrees were awarded to Admiral Howard; anthropologist Jean Schensul, founding director and senior scientist with the Institute for Community Research; and Lawrence J. Wheeler, director of the North Carolina Museum of Art.

The speaker was UNC System President Margaret Spellings. Spellings served as U.S. Secretary of Education from 2005 to 2009. Dr. Mildred Dresselhaus, professor emerita at MIT, received an honorary Doctor of Sciences.

The commencement speaker was Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane. Dr. David Christian, director of the Big History Institute, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Architect Philip G. Freelon received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. Freelon was lead architect for the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall. The student commencement speaker was Yasmine Connor.

Chancellor Randy Woodson delivered the commencement address. Honorary degrees were granted to Martine Rothblatt, a lawyer, biotech company founder, satellite radio innovator and author; and Masahiro Shima, founder and chairman of the board of directors of Shima Seiki Manufacturing Limited, known for innovations in garment manufacturing.

Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, was the commencement speaker. Honorary degrees were conferred to Edelman and on Temple Grandin, a pioneer in improving the handling and welfare of farm animals, and an advocate for people with autism.

The commencement speaker was Dr. Christine Mann Darden, a 30-year NASA engineer and executive and internationally recognized expert in aerodynamics. She also received an honorary Doctor of Sciences degree.

The commencement speaker was Virginia M. "Ginni" Rometty, chairman, president and chief executive officer of IBM. She also received an honorary Doctor of Sciences. Craig Dykers, founding partner of architectural firm Snohetta, received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. The James B. Hunt Library was designed by Snohetta.

The commencement speaker was Dr. William L. Roper, Interim President of the UNC System. Dr. Roper previously served as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts was granted to Curtis Worth Fentress, a world-renowned designer of iconic public architecture.

For the first time in NC State history, commencement was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally planned for May 9. A virtual celebration video was released instead.

Commencement was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alumnus Christina Hammock Koch received an honorary degree and gave the commencement address. NASA astronaut Koch served as a flight engineer on the International Space Station, set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, and participated in the first all-woman spacewalk.

To ensure social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, spring commencement was held in two sessions over two days. It was held in Carter-Finley Stadium, the first time since 1997. NFL quarterback and alumnus Russell Wilson was the commencement speaker. Honorary degrees were awarded to alumnus Jeff Williams, chief operating officer at Apple and to alumna Ashley Christensen, James Beard-award winning chef.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the class of 2020 held their postponed commencement in the summer of 2021. The commencement speaker was Cindy Eckert, founder and CEO of the Pink Ceiling. She also received an honorary degree.

Mark Templeton, retired president and CEO of Citrix Systems, was the commencement speaker.

Mohamed L. Mansour was the commencement speaker. Mansour, an international business leader, was chairman of the Mansour Group and Man Capital. He was granted an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Brian Harry, software engineer with One Tree Software and later Microsoft, received an honorary Doctor of Sciences.