Graduation/Commencement Speakers

paying3tuitions
Fri, 16 Feb 2007 19:54:34 +0000

In 1972, Pete Seeger was our commencement speaker at Oberlin College, who spoke on the military budget (Vietnam), interspersing it with songs on his banjo which hung around his neck. Afterwards, since he preferred not to hobnob, he declined the faculty luncheon. My parents and I found him sitting alone under a tree in Tappan Square, so joined him and shared our picnic. Some other families settled in like little birds under the tree to chat with him. Best time ever.
Last year, Oberlin had book author/newspaper columnist Tom Friedman.
I’m also fond of looking at who receives their honorary degrees, for example: Martin Luther King very early in his career. They’re always ahead-of-the-curve, IMHO.