Graduation and Presidencies
As we get into the spring graduation season and students prepare to leave their high school or college for the next phase in their lives, I thought I’d take a moment to share a little of the history of US presidents delivering commencement addresses at colleges and universities.
It looks like the earliest instance that we have of a president delivering a speech at a commencement ceremony was Theodore Roosevelt when he spoke at the Naval Academy’s graduation on May 2nd, 1902.
This idea of presidents delivering commencement addresses was slow to take off as between 1902 and 1945, only seven speeches were delivered by the sitting president at college graduation ceremonies.
Starting with Truman, however, the practice started to pick up speed, and during LBJ’s tenure, he delivered 17 commencement addresses including what later came to be known as the Great Society speech at the University of Michigan graduation on May 22nd, 1964.
Starting with George HW Bush on through Obama, each president delivered 23 to 24 commencement addresses while president. It has again started to taper off in recent years, but there’s little doubt that it will continue to be a precedent followed by future chief executives.
Funny enough, despite the fact that five presidents graduated from there as undergrads and five from a graduate school at the institution, no president to date has delivered a commencement address at Harvard University.
If you’d like to learn a bit more about the history of US presidents delivering commencement addresses, check out this page on the American Presidency Project website.
Latest Episodes
If you haven’t checked out the latest episodes yet, be sure to do so this weekend as you’re in for a treat. I had a great conversation with Talmage Boston about the leadership traits of eight of the US presidents consistently ranked as the best of all time and how we can start to develop those traits in ourselves.
Meanwhile, the latest two-part episode of the Seat at the Table series features a conversation with friend and podcaster extraordinaire Alycia from Civics and Coffee about that public servant who seemed like he was never going to stop, Richard Rush. Four administrations, two Cabinet posts, and diplomatic missions in London (during the Victorian era) and Paris (during the Revolutions of 1848) - believe me, his life is fascinating!
Seat at the Table Series: Richard Rush Part One and Part Two
Interview Series: Interview with Talmage Boston (How the Best Did It)
As you’re listening to those, just a head’s up - the next Madison presidency series episode is launching on Sunday, so be on the look out!
Love of Reading
I have been trying to get caught up on reading to prepare for the coming episodes of the Madison series and beyond and managed to finish these four books since the last newsletter.
Castlereagh and Adams: England and the United States, 1812-1823 by Bradford Perkins
While not necessarily the most thrilling read, this book was very enlightening about how Anglo-American relations shifted and progressed following the War of 1812. It was also informative about some of the individuals key to foreign policy in both nations at the time and the impact that other foreign relations matters had on the relationship between the US and Britain.
The Burning of the White House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812 by Jane Hampton Cook
If you’re looking for a detailed account of what happened in the lead up to as well as during the invasion of Washington, DC, this read is highly recommended. It was very approachable and provided some insight about individuals that I hadn’t realized were involved in this narrative.
The Chesapeake Campaign, 1813-1814 by Charles P Neimeyer
This was a concise walk-through of the military actions in the British offensives in the Chesapeake region in 1813 and 1814. Quite informative for any who are interested, and it was a quick read.
Scars on the Land: An Environmental History of Slavery in the American South by David Silkenat
This one was a highly impactful read, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s funny, going into this read, I was mainly looking for something a bit different from what had been on my reading list recently and wasn’t sure how much I would be able to use it in my work with Presidencies. Then I went to record an upcoming election special episode and ended up referencing it numerous times. Very enlightining and helped to clarify some points in pre-Civil War history for me.
Guest Appearances
Recently, I’ve made a number of guest appearances on other podcasts and blogs discussing a multitude of topics (not all presidential history related). If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the following episodes/posts:
God vs God: Ebisu, The Laughing God
Poor Historians: President Cleveland’s Secret Surgery
My History Can Beat Up Your Politics: High Noon in Trenton
Writers’ Loom: Tennessee Johnson
May Birthdays
We have two May birthdays this month! While they may not be the most well known folks we’ve covered in the Seat at the Table series, they are two of the lowest scorers to date in the Hot Seat round, so I hope you’ll take a moment to celebrate these good guys by listening to their episodes if you haven’t already.
May 14: Samuel Dexter (1761)
May 15: Levi Lincoln Sr (1749)
And finally…
If you are graduating or have a graduate in your household or in your life, congratulations and my very best wishes for the journey ahead for all 2024 grads! I was in your shoes two decades ago, and I know that it can be both an exciting and anxiety-filled time. Take strength in what you’ve learned in the process as well as the folks who have been with you on the journey - you’ll find your way, so long as you commit to never stop learning.
If you’d like to support the podcast, there are numerous ways to do so including through Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee. To all who have shown their support thus far over the years, I cannot thank you enough!
Leaving a rating and review is also a great way to show your support, and thanks to all who have taken a minute to do so!
Please feel free to reach out to me via email at presidenciespodcast@gmail.com or connecting on the various social media outlets Presidencies can be found on.
Until next time, stay safe and healthy, be kind to one another, and take care, dear friends!