Kenyon has a rich history of distinguished speakers who have imparted thoughtful advice to graduating seniors. The remarks by the late author David Foster Wallace H’05, titled “This is Water,” are regularly counted among the most famous commencement speeches and have been published in a book.
He has plenty of good company, even dating back to the early days of the College. In 1834, a decade after Kenyon was founded, graduates heard from Salmon P. Chase, nephew of founder Philander Chase who would go on to become governor of Ohio, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and chief justice of the Supreme Court. And just 10 years ago, author and YouTuber John Green ’00 H’16 gave an indelible speech called “Learn to Listen.”
In between, there have been an impressive array of prominent figures — writers, actors and politicians — who have shared their wisdom in Gambier. These include Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright Thornton Wilder H’48 (1948); Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss H’87 (1987); Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent H’99 (1999), and U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky H’97 (2000).
