Past Commencement Ceremonies

2023

Goucher College's 132nd Commencement was held on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. Anna Deavere Smith delivered the commencement address.

2022

Goucher College's 131th Commencement was held on Friday, May 27, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. Rev. Dr. William Barber II delivered the commencement address.

2021

Goucher College's 130th Commencement was held on Friday, May 21, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. Mayor Brandon Scott delivered the commencement address.

2020

Goucher College's 129th Commencement was held on Saturday, May 22, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. Rear Admiral Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben delivered the commencement address.

2019

Goucher College's 128th Commencement was held on Friday, May 24, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. Bill Nye the Science Guy delivered the commencement address.

2018

Goucher College’s 127th Commencement exercises took place on Friday, May 25, 2018, at 10:30 a.m.

April D. Ryan, veteran White House correspondent, CNN political analyst, and the Washington, DC, bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, was the keynote speaker.

2017

Goucher College’s 126th Commencement took place on Friday, May 19, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. on the Margaret M. Winslow Great Lawn, with José Antonio Bowen presiding over the ceremony.

Leon Botstein, conductor, music historian, and president of Bard College in New York, received an honorary degree and delivered the keynote address. Botstein is a leading advocate for progressive education and strengthening the importance of the liberal arts in public life. Read the press release.

2016

Goucher College’s 125th Commencement took place on Friday, May 20, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. on the Margaret M. Winslow Great Lawn, between the Athenaeum and Katharine and Jane Welsh Hall, with José Antonio Bowen presiding over the ceremony.

Eboo Patel received an honorary degree and delivered the keynote address.

2015

Goucher College’s 124th Commencement took place on Friday, May 22, 2015, at 10:30 a.m. on the Margaret M. Winslow Great Lawn, between the Athenaeum and Katharine and Jane Welsh Hall, with José Antonio Bowen presiding over the ceremony.

Congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis (D-Ga.) received an honorary degree and delivered the keynote address.

2014

Goucher College’s 123rd Commencement took place on Friday, May 23, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. on the Margaret M. Winslow Great Lawn, between the Athenaeum and Katharine and Jane Welsh Hall, with President Sanford J. Ungar presiding over the ceremony.

Susan Eisenhower—a widely respected expert on foreign policy and international affairs, particularly U.S.-Russian relations, and the granddaughter of the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower—received an honorary degree and delivered the keynote address. Margot Perot, a member of the Goucher College Class of 1955, was also awarded an honorary degree. She and her husband, Ross Perot, the former independent candidate for president of the United States, are among the country’s most prominent philanthropists, and they have also been generous to Goucher.

2013

Goucher College’s 122nd Commencement exercises took place on Friday, May 24, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. on the Margaret M. Winslow Great Lawn, between the Athenaeum and Welsh Hall. Goucher College presented a live video stream of Commencement.

Judith Viorst—author of the beloved children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day; Necessary Losses; and many other works—delivered the keynote address and received an honorary degree. Honors were also given to Kwame Kwei-Armah, the artistic director of Baltimore's Center Stage, and Laura Amy Schlitz ’77, a Newbery Award-winning children's author and librarian at the Park School in Baltimore.

2012

Goucher College’s 121st Commencement exercises took place on Friday, May 18, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. on the Winslow Great Lawn, between the Athenaeum and Welsh Hall. Goucher presented a live video stream of the Commencement exercises.

2011

Goucher College’s 120th Commencement exercises took place on Friday, May 20, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. on the Winslow Great Lawn, between the Athenaeum and Welsh Hall.

2010

Goucher College’s 119th Commencement exercises took place on Friday, May 21, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. on the lawn behind Mary Fisher Hall.

2009

Goucher College’s 118th Commencement exercises took place on Friday, May 22, 2009, at 10:30 a.m.

2008

Goucher College’s 117th Commencement exercises took place on Friday, May 23, 2008, at 10:30 a.m.

  • President Ungar’s opening remarks
  • Matthew Modine, honorary degree recipient, keynote address
  • Adrienne A. Jones, honorary degree recipient, Commencement address
  • Reverend Doctor Masanobu Fukamachi, honorary degree recipient, Commencement address
  • Ashley Farris, senior speaker

2007

  • President Ungar’s opening remarks
  • Garry Trudeau, honorary degree recipient
  • U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, honorary degree recipient
  • Sandy Lerner, honorary degree recipient
  • Lisa Gulian, senior speaker