Notice to this year’s graduation speaker, whoever you may be: Your days are numbered.
Commencement speakers are supposed to be the high-profile highlight of a student’s graduation ceremonies, donning a cap and gown, pretending they know where they are and speaking about how graduates can be prosperous and benefit society.
As two university seniors close in on this year’s commencement speaker, a review of past guests shows almost all since 1995 have either left their job or been ousted amid scandal since appearing on the campus to advise graduates how to succeed.
Of course, what goes up must come down, and all officials eventually leave their posts. But with one exception, the university’s chosen speakers have been fairly consistent in having to hit the unemployment line shortly thereafter.
The most recent speaker, Tom Ridge, didn’t even make it a year after his speech. Ridge, appointed to head the newly created Department of Homeland Security after Sept. 11, served four years and bowed out after President Bush’s re-election.
At least Ridge had a say in it. Frank Raines, the CEO of Fannie Mae and the 2003 graduation speaker, stepped down amid scandal after his company misrepresented a 40 percent — $9 billion — loss. The year before featured former editor of The (Baltimore) Sun Bill Marimow, who clashed with and was fired by publisher Denise Palmer. The 2001 speaker was Parris Glendening, who would end his two-terms as governor of Maryland after a controversial affair with his chief of staff amid a burgeoning budget deficit.
Those are the worst offenders, though their predecessors didn’t fare too well either. The speakers from 1997 to 2000 have since left their posts as well, though amid considerably less dicey situations. 2000’s featured NAACP president Kweisi Mfume, who stepped down last November after a six-year run to spend time with family.
Husband and wife political strategist team James Carville and Mary Matalin spoke in 1999 — Carville’s CNN debate show Crossfire was axed after being blasted by Daily Show host Jon Stewart, though both Carville and Matalin served as strategists for last year’s presidential candidates.
Madeleine Albright, who spoke in 1998, was replaced by Colin Powell after a distinguished career as Secretary of State. Bill Bradley, who spoke in 1997, was defeated by 2000 presidential election loser Al Gore in the Democratic primary.
Syndicated columnist Carl Rowan, the speaker in 1995, had it worst — he died in 2000.
The only speaker in the past decade who still has something good — or at least current — to show for? Sen. Hillary Clinton, who not only bounced into Congress after two terms as First Lady, but is regarded as the frontrunner to the represent Democrats on the 2008 presidential ticket.
Ann Wylie, university President Dan Mote’s chief of staff and dean of the graduate school, helped book speakers until two years ago, when students gained control. Wylie chuckled at the unfortunate downfall of some speakers.
“I think it’s maybe more a commentary on the way a life actually is, that when you’re up at the top, people can take pot-shots at you pretty easily,” she said.
The university has felt the pressure to attract big-name speakers recently and handed over control to students two years ago amid criticism of Marimow and Raines’ selection. The Senior Council and Student Government Association each selects a student, who works connections and friends trying to land a big-name speaker who will come free of charge — the university has a policy of not paying graduation speakers.
“University commencement speeches used to be places where politicians and other people would make major announcements or used them as a pulpit to talk about ideas on the big scale of things,” Wylie said. “For some reason or the other, because the media is so much more active in our lives today, people don’t see the commencement speakers in the same way.”
This year’s students in charge, Christine Delargy and Maura Lezzi, could have bucked the trend had they landed former President Jimmy Carter, who has done largely charitable work and won a Nobel Prize since his one term in the ‘70s.
Mote, however, is just glad he doesn’t have to worry about it anymore.
“It’s such a hard job that I’m delighted to give it someone else,” he said.
Staff writer Laurie Au contributed to this report.
