The traditional "charge" to graduating
seniors has been given in Storrs since 1883 when the
first six boys graduated with two-year certificates
in agriculture. Recordings of undergraduate ceremonies exist from the early 1980s to the present with a few rare exceptions. The oldest
recording available is from 1963, and a clip is included on this
page. Additional clips, and in some cases, complete addresses, from other years will be added as they are
retrieved from the University's
archival recordings.
Year/ Speaker |
Clip/Quality |
Info |
|
| 1963 |
Raymond Baldwin |
Clip:
26.4 sec/52kb
Complete Address (18.5 mb)
(Sound quality is very good) |
Baldwin
was the governor of Connecticut in 1939 and signed the
legislation that turned Connecticut State College into
the University of Connecticut. He spoke at the first
commencement presided over by President Homer D. Babbidge.
The ceremony was held outdoors on a hot day in June at
Memorial Stadium. |
|
| 1977 |
Clifton R. Wharton, Jr |
Clip: 28.5 sec
(Sound quality is fair) |
Wharton, president of Michigan State University, who cautioned the degree candidates against expectations of guaranteed security characteristic of the 1960s. |
|
| 1982 |
Oakes
Ames |
Clip #1:
33.4 sec/66kb
Clip
#2: 25.6 sec/51kb
(Sound
quality is fair) |
Ames was president of Connecticut College in 1982. He spoke about the dangers
of nuclear war [1], but was optimistic about the future [2]. He cautioned against
violent protest, favoring civil debate. |
|
| 1983 |
Douglas
Edwards |
Clip
#1:25 sec/50kb
Clip
#2: 29.8 sec/59kb
(Sound
quality is fair)
Musician-comedian Victor Borge, a long-time supporter of the University for whom a fine arts scholarship was named, received an honorary degree at UConn's 1983 Graduate Commencement ceremony. He spoke briefly at Commencement, introduced by President. John A. DiBiaggio. Borge Audio 4:14 |
Douglas
Edwards was a CBS news anchor who preceded Walter Cronkite
on the network's evening news broadcast. He offered
fatherly advice to the graduates [1] and a measured but
optimistic view of the world [2]. |
|
| 1993 |
Randall
Pinkston |
Pinkston
Clip:
28.1 sec/56kb
(Sound quality is very good) |
Formerly
with Hartford's CBS affiliate WFSB, Randall Pinkston
was White House correspondent for the network
during the Bush administration. While working in Hartford,
he earned his law degree at the UConn School of Law. |
|
|
Ron
Howard
|
Howard
Clip: 55.5 sec/109kb
(Sound
quality is very good) |
Film
producer/director/actor Ron Howard received an honorary
degree during the 1993 undergraduate ceremony. The
audio clip here has his complete remarks. |
| 1994 |
Peter
Guber |
Clip: 31. sec/61kb
Complete Address (20.9 mb)
(Sound quality is good) |
Guber was head of Sony Entertainment in 1994 -- and received an honorary degree in
fine arts during the undergraduate ceremony. His advice to graduates had to do with
rapidly changing technoloy and how it would affect the future -- especially the
lives of the graduates. |
|
| 1995 |
Michael
Bolton |
Clip #1: 11 sec/25kb
Clip #2: 29.9sec/59kb
Complete Address (16.4 mb)
(Sound quality is good) |
Singer/songwriter and social activist Michael Bolton,
a native of New Haven, Conn., offered graduates
advice based on his experiences in the entertainment
world. |
|
| 1996 |
Bill
Cosby |
Cosby
Clip #1:
25.6 sec/59kb
Cosby Clip #2:
24.9 sec/49kb
Cosby Clip #3:
11 sec/22kb
Complete Address (22.7 mb)
(Sound Quality is very good) |
Bill
Cosby's advice to the graduates in 1996 was funny,
fatherly, and frank. He joked about their educational
skills [1], urged them to do well [2], and advised them
to keep commitments [3]. Due to schedule conflicts, Cosby
only addressed the first of the two ceremonies held for
the large graduating class. |
|
|
Sanford
Cloud |
Cloud
Clip: 23.6 sec/47kb
Complete Address (27.0 mb)
(Sound
Quality is very good) |
Sanford
Cloud, a former Connecticut lawmaker, was president and
CEO of The National Conference, spoke at the afternoon
ceremony. He challenged the graduates to work for social
justice for everyone. |
| 1997 |
Robert
Fiondella |
Clip
#1:
31.6 sec/62kb
Clip #2:
25.3 sec/50kb
Complete Address (18.5 mb)
(Sound
Quality is very good) |
Fiondella
was chair, president and CEO of Phoenix Home Life
Mutual Insurance at the time of his address. A member
of the Class of 1968, UConn law, his was a personal
talk, about the support of his parents and family
throughout his career. He advised the graduate about
making life choices [1], and shared some of his own
[2]. |
|
| 1998 |
George
H. W. Bush |
Clip:
69.7 sec/137kb
Complete Address (14.9 mb)
(Sound
Quality is very good) |
Bush,
US president from 1989 to 1993, and vice president
from 1981 to 1989, urged students to a life that
included service, and giving back to their community,
state and nation. |
|
| 1999 |
David
McCullough |
Clip #1: 44.8
sec/88kb
Clip #2: 59.7 sec/117kb
Complete Address: 15.4 mb)
(Sound Quality is very good) |
McCullough,
a Pulitzer prize-winning author, and narrator/host
of public television's "The American Experience",
advised graduates to continue their education
through reading. |
|
| 2000 |
Christopher
Dodd |
Clip #1: 20 sec/40kb
Clip #2: 27.5 sec/54kb
Complete Address (19.7 mb)
(Sound Quality is very good) |
Sen.
Dodd (D-Conn.)offered advice on five qualities
common to successful people, including sharing success
with others -- while resisting retaliation; and he
cited another quality of successful people - failure
[1]. Finally, he cited many firsts that have occurred
in Connecticut - first public library, first
written constitution, first school for the disabled,
and others.
|
|
| 2001 |
Rod Paige |
Clip #1: 26 sec/44KB
Clip #2: 28 sec/59KB
Complete Address (11.1 mb)
(Sound quality is very good.) |
Rod
Paige, U.S. Secretary of Education, said [1] no society
in history has had the the goal of "Leave No
Child Behind." Paige also told the graduates
[2] to show the world the quality of their education
- "show them you confront challenges and care
about yourself." |
|
| 2002 |
John
G. Rowland |
Complete Address (17.0)
(Sound quality is very good.) |
John
G. Rowland, Governor of Connecticut presented
the graduates with four principals of personal
responsibility - which were the main topic
of his address. He also [1] challenged the
students to change society and 2] projected
the future of the graduates. |
|
| 2003 |
Les
Payne |
Clip
#1: 204k - 29 seconds
Clip #2: 218K -
31 seconds
Complete Address (21.9 mb)
(Sound
quality is very good.) |
Journalist
and UConn alumnus Les Payne urged graduating
seniors to avoid the Fifth Horseman of the
Apocalypse - indifference.
Payne gave advice [1} about dealing with a tight job market and told students [2]
that they must go now and making things better
for those who come after them. |
|
| 2004 |
John
W. Rowe |
Complete Address: 2.9MB (7 minutes)
Sound
quality is very good.) |
Dr.
John W. Rowe, chair of the University of
Connecticut's Board of Trustees, gave the
graduates advice from his own experiences. |
|
2005
May
|
Eduardo
Aguirre |
Complete
Address: 5.7mb (14 minutes)
(Sound quality is very good.) |
Fresh
from their student days, new graduates of
the University should remember to serve others and to
give back, based on the advice of Commencement
speaker Eduardo Aguirre. |
|
2005
Dec. |
Robert Ballard |
Complete Address: 6 mb (15 minutes)
(Sound quality is very good.) |
"Your journey is not over once your goal is reached, your dream fulfilled, the truth attained. The journey is never over until you share what you have learned with others," said marine scientist Robert Ballard in his address to Undergraduates. |
|
2006
May |
Rosa DeLauro |
Complete Address: 10 mb (20 minutes)
(Sound quality is very good.) |
U.S. Representative DeLauro offered a challenge to the graduating class. Her remarks came just after she received an honorary doctoral degree from the University. |
|
2006
Dec. |
Robert E. Diamond |
Complete Address: 15 mb (16 minutes)
(Sound quality is very good.) |
Diamond, president of Barclays PLC, offered advice to the graduates which he had received from his father - "if you want to be a winner, get out there and act like a winner." |
|
2007
May |
Fay Weldon |
Complete Address: 15 mb (16 minutes)
(Sound quality is very good.) |
Author Weldon told the graduates that life is one long assignment, "to deliver with the best will, and the best results, that you possibly can." |
|
2008
May |
Rebecca Lobo
CLAS Undergraduate Ceremony |
Complete Address: 18.3 mb (16 minutes)
(Sound quality is excellent) |
Lobo, a member of the UConn Class of 1995 and of the 1995 NCAA championship UConn women's basketball team, is a sports broadcaster and member of the UConn Board of Trustees. |
|
Garry Wills
Graduate School Ceremony |
Complete Address: 8.3 mb (8.5 minutes)
Sound quality is excellent |
Garry Wills is a scholar and journalist and recipient of numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize. |
2008
Dec. |
Denis M. McCarthy |
Complete Address & conferral of honorary degree (12 minutes)
Sound quality is excellent
Remarks by Undergraduate Student Representative Adam Pennarola (5 minutes) |
McCarthy is the retired chairman, CEO and president of Fidelity Management Trust Co., a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, one of the world’s leading providers of financial services. He earned a bachelor’s degree at UConn in 1964, and a master’s degree in 1965 |
|
| 2009 |
Timothy Shriver |
Complete Address: 17.5 mb (19 minutes)
Sound quality is excellent
Welcoming remarks by UConn President Michael Hogan: 12.6 mb (14 minutes)
Sound quality is excellent |
Shriver is chairman and chief executive officer of Special Olympics. He earned his doctorate in special education from UConn in 1997. |
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