John F. Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State and BC Law ’76, will be this year’s Commencement speaker, delivering the main address at Boston College’s 138th Commencement Exercises on May 19. As an accomplished diplomat and member of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet, he is an excellent choice to address this year’s graduating class. It is also a positive reflection on the University that he has agreed to return to his alma mater 38 years after graduating.
Kerry represented Massachusetts for 28 years in the U.S. Senate, and he served as the Senate Foreign Relations Chairman before assuming office as Secretary of State in 2013. Since his service in the Vietnam War, he has been instrumental in advocating for U.S. veterans, fighting for their benefits and access to medical treatment.
In addition to delivering a speech, Kerry will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J. Given his decades of service to the U.S., its veterans, and to world diplomacy, he is a worthy recipient of this award.
