To fill the gap, in came the guest speakers. Even so, those early commencement speakers tended to be from the university in question or statesmen of some sort, not cultural figures.

This year’s commencement speeches were anything but ordinary, however, tapping into a surprising range of themes and emotions. At Morehouse, a historically Black college in Atlanta, President ...

Commencement speeches can bleed together. Adversity: overcome. Mountains: climbed. Friendships: lifelong. But this year, as esteemed speakers across the country noted, graduation really is a victory.

The kind of speaker UH's Class of '23 won't have this year: Matthew McConaughey gave UH's commencement ceremony speech in 2015. Marie D. De Jesús/Houston Chronicle ...