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SVSU History: Commencements

Commencements by decade

Year Location Commencement Speaker Honorary Degree(s)
1966 St. John's Episcopal Church Samuel B. Gould
  • H. Randall Wickes - Doctor of Laws
  • Herbert D. Doan - Doctor of Science
1967 Cardinal Gymnasium Harlan H. Hatcher
  • Harlan H. Hatcher - Doctor of Humanities
  • George Romney - Doctor of Laws
1968 Cardinal Gymnasium Leland John Haworth
  • Lloyd W. Bartlett - Doctor of Laws
1969 Cardinal Gymnasium The Rt. Rev. Richard S. Emrich
  • Durward B. Varner - Doctor of Laws
  • Rachel Andersen - Doctor of Humanities
  • Maurice E. Brown - Doctor of Laws
  • Alden B. Dow - Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Melvin J. Hunter - Doctor of Science

Awarded at the conclusion of the dedication week, November 1969

 

Year Location Commencement Speaker Honorary Degree(s)
1970 Cardinal Gymnasium The Right Hon. John G. Diefenbaker
  • John G. Diefenbaker - Doctor of Laws
  • Henry G. Marsh - Doctor of Laws
1971 Cardinal Gymnasium Robben W. Fleming
  • Shailer L. Bass - Doctor of Science
  • Bishop James A. Hickey - Doctor of Laws
1972 Cardinal Gymnasium Judge Wade H. McCree, Jr.
  • William A. Boos Jr - Doctor of Laws
  • Dr. Roger Heyne
1973 Cardinal Gymnasium  
  • Jerome T. Hart - Doctor of Laws
  • Roberta R. Allen - Doctor of Humane Letters
  • Max P. Heavenrich, Jr. - Doctor of Letters

 
  • C. Benton Branch - Doctor of Science
  • Edward N. Cole - Doctor of Business Administration
  • William G Milliken - Doctor of Laws
 Awarded at the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the University on November 26, 1973

1974

 Cardinal Gymnasium Dr. Paul W. McCracken
  • Ruben Daniels - Doctor of Laws
  • William A. Groening, Jr. - Doctor of Laws
1975 Cardinal Gymnasium  
  • James B. Arnold - Doctor of Humanities
  • Audra E. Francis - Doctor of Civil Law
  • Frank N. Andersen - Doctor of Humanities
  • Donald J. Carlyon - Doctor of Laws
  • Herbert H. Dow - Doctor of Humanities
  • Dr. Charles H. Lawshe - Doctor of Laws
 Awarded at the Inauguration of the President on September 19, 1975
1976 Cardinal Gymnasium  
  • Ellis M. Ivey, Jr. - Doctor of Laws
  • Otto C. Pressprich - Doctor of Letters
  • Louis A. Vaupre - Doctor of Laws
1977 Cardinal Gymnasium  
  • Calvin A Campbell - Doctor of Laws
  • Hans S. Hennecke - Doctor of Laws
  • John S. Ludington - Doctor of Laws
1978 Cardinal Gymnasium  
  • Paul H. Wendler - Doctor of Laws
  • Ralph McConnell Wiley - Doctor of Sciences
1979 Cardinal Gymnasium  
  • Mary Stallings Coleman - Doctor of Laws
  • George James Williams - Doctor of Laws

 

Year Location Commencement Speaker(s) Honorary Degree(s)

1980

Cardinal Gymnasium

 Dr. James H. Brickley
  • James H. Brickley - Doctor of Laws
  • Marshall M. Fredericks - Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Irene Warsaw - Doctor of Letters
1981 Cardinal Gymnasium  
  • Josephine Griswold Ashmun - Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Melvin J. Zahnow - Doctor of Laws

1982

Cardinal Gymnasium

 Paul F. Oreffice
  • Ruth E. Bridge - Doctor of Humanities
  • Paul F. Oreffice - Doctor of Science
  • Walter Ernest Walpole - Doctor of Laws
  • Earl L. Warrick - Doctor of Humanities

1983

Cardinal Gymnasium

 Maurice Harari
  • Ned S. Arbury - Doctor of Laws
  • Maurice Harari - Doctor of Humanities
  • Herbert H. Lyon - Doctor of Laws
1984 Cardinal Gymnasium  
  • Mary Goldsworthy Arnold - Doctor of Fine Arts
  • James E. O'Neill, Jr. - Doctor of Laws

1985

Cardinal Gymnasium

Richard V. Wolohan (May 3)
  • Richard D. Mudd - Doctor of Humanities
  • Richard V. Wolohan - Doctor of Laws
  • Margaret Rorke - Doctor of Letters
  • J. Robert Traxler - Doctor of Laws
The Honorable J. Robert Traxler (May 4)

1986

Cardinal Gymnasium

  
  • Dorothy D. Arbury - Doctor of Fine Arts
  • John W. Kendall III - Doctor of Laws
  • James R. Krohn - Doctor of Laws

1987

Cardinal Gymnasium

Lorene R. Fischer (May 1)
  • Lorene R. Fischer - Doctor of Laws
  • Edward B. Morley, Jr. - Doctor of Laws
  • Kenneth E. Untener - Doctor of Humanities
Bishop Kenneth E. Untener (May 2)

1988

Cardinal Gymnasium

  
  • Rhea Miller - Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Linneaus C. Dorman - Doctor of Science
  • Robert H. Tiderington - Doctor of Laws
1989 Health and Physical Education Center  
  • Richard H. Gilmore - Doctor of Laws

 

Year Location Commencement Speaker(s) Honorary Degree(s)

1990

Ryder Center for Health and Physical Education

  
  • Hugo E. "Ted" Braun, Jr. - Doctor of Laws
  • Lewis N. Dodak - Doctor of Laws
  • Marc Stepp - Doctor of Laws
1990-1991

Ryder Center for Health and Physical Education

  
  • Hon. James P. Churchill - Doctor of Laws
  • Florence F. Saltzman - Doctor of Humanities
1991-1992 James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Dr. Drew E. Hinderer  
1992-1993 Ryder Center for Health and Physical Education  
  • Hatuo Saito - Doctor of Science

1993

August

 Doan Center Robert S.P. Yien  

December

 James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Dr. Rosalie Riegle Troester

1994

May

 Ryder Center for Health and Physical Education

 
  • William J. Edwards - Doctor of Laws
December James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Dr. Albert J. Beutler  
1995 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena    
December Bradley J. Miller
  • Madappa Madaiah - Doctor of Laws

1996

May

 James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • James V. Finkbeiner - Doctor of Laws
  • Rev. Roosevelt Austin - Doctor of Humanities
December
  • Jon A. Cicky - Doctor of Laws
1997 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena    
December Donna J. Roberts
1998 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • Alan Ott - Doctor of Humanities

1999

May

 James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena

 
  • Connie B. Binsfeld - Doctor of Laws
August Founders Hall Paul J. Uselding  
December James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Dr. Harriet Tillock

 

Year Location Commencement Speaker(s) Honorary Degree(s)
2000 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • E. Malcolm Field - Doctor of Science
  • Senator Joel Gougeon - Doctor of Laws
August Founders Hall Violet Chou-Chu Tsai  
2001 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • James A. Barcia - Doctor of Laws
August Founders Hall Dr. Shuh-Kuen Chen  
December James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Burnett S. Kelly  
2002 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • Frank P. Popoff - Doctor of Laws
August David H. Swenson  
December Kenneth R. Wahl  
2003 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • Dave Camp - Doctor of Laws
August Eldon L. Graham  
December Robert C. Braddock  
2004 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena John D. Cherry Jr.
  • John D. Cherry Jr. - Doctor of Laws
August  
  • Lloyd J. Yeo - Doctor of Laws
December  
  • Peter D. Boyse - Doctor of Laws
2005 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Linda L. Sims  
August Thomas L. Ludington  
December Robert S.P. Yien  
2006 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • Mike Goschka - Doctor of Laws
August Paul Chaffee  
December  
  • Paul Tzung-Tsann Mu - Doctor of Humanities
2007 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • Bart Stupak - Doctor of Laws
December  
  • Ken Follett - Doctor of Letters
2008 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Debbie Stabenow
  • Debbie Stabenow - Doctor of Laws
August D. Brian Law  
December Michael D. Hayes
  • Bokanakere S. Yeddyurappa - Doctor of Laws
2009 December James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Anthony J. Ceccacci
  • Eldon L. Graham - Doctor of Science

 

Year Location Commencement Speaker(s) Honorary Degree(s)
2010 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Michael Finney  
August Robert L. Maurovich
December  
2011 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Earl Shipp  
August Mary Hedberg
2012 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Janice Wolff  
December Bob Hansen
2013 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • Charles Curtiss - Doctor of Laws
August Rev. Dr. Ohene-Kyei  
December Eric R. Gilbertson
  • Chuan Lee PhD - Doctor of Laws
2014 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Patrick McMinnus  
December David Kepler
2015 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Harold R. Wilde  
December Billy Dexter
2016 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Joseph Fifer
  • Karin M. Nichols - posthumous degree (Master of Arts)
December Janet M. Botz
  • Roxie Rose Reno - Canine Support
2017 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Shaun M. Johnson  
December Rob Vallentine
  • Evan R. Willman - posthumous degree (Master of Science in Occupational Therapy)
2018 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Marylin E. Atkins  
December Jenee Velasquez
2019 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Patti Poppe
  • Joseph DuCharme - posthumous degree (Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering)
December Scott L. Carmona  

 

Year Location Commencement Speaker(s) Honorary Degree(s)
2020 Online    
2021 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • Tyra Chapman - posthumous degree (Bachelor of Science in Public Health)
  • Alissa Bunnell - posthumous degree (Bachelor of Science in Health Science)
December
  • Phuong Trinh - posthumous degree (Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting)
  • Sheila Chaddah - posthumous degree (Master of Arts in Teaching for Special Education)
2022 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena  
  • Weiju Chen
December
  • Kenneth Horn
  • Jim Stamas
2023 May    
  • Patrick Miles, Jr.
  • Beth Charlton
December
  • Karen S. Carter
2024 May James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena Colin Bird
  • Colin Bird
December  
  • Mark Murray
2025      
2026      
2027      
2028      
2029      

 

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