Commencement Speakers

8 Jun 1966

2 Jun 1967

Dr. Louis Mennini
Acting President
(HS-61 College-2)

5 Jun 1968

Dr. Robert Ward
NCSA President
(HS-52 College-8)

6 Jun 1969

William Trotman
NCSA Dean/Drama
(HS-65 College-27)

30 May 1970

Agnes de Mille
Choreographer

5 Jun 1971

Joseph Papp
Founder, Producer, NY Shakespeare Festival

No Program

28 May 1972

Robert Shaw
Conductor
College

10 Jun 1972

Miss Jean Dalrymple
Producer
HS

2 Jun 1973

Miss Carmen deLavallade
Modern Dancer

Crawford

1 Jun 1974

Ms. Nananne Porcher
Lighting Designer

31 May 1975

Peter Zeisler
Director

29 May 1976

Grace J. Rohrer
Secretary, NC DCR

No program

28 May 1977

Valerie Bettis
Dancer

3 Jun 1978

Dr. Frank G. Dickey
NCSA Interim Dean, Academic Studies

2 Jun 1979

Hon. Carl Stewart
NC Speaker of the House

31 May 1980

Schuyler Chapin
Dean, School of Arts, Columbia

30 May 1981

J, Michael Miller
Associate Dean, NYU

29 May 1982

Terry Sanford
President, Duke University

28 May 1983

Dr. William Friday
President of UNC Stevens Center

2 Jun 1984

Ruth Page
Dancer, Choreographer

1 Jun 1985

W. McNeil Lowry

(Awarded Honorary D.F.A.)

31 May 1986

Alexander C. Ewing
President, Board Visitors & Hillbright Enterprises

30 May 1987

Dr. William Friday

(Awarded Honorary D.F.A. & Phil Hanes.)

28 May 1988

J. H. Froelich, Jr.
President, Froelich Co. NCSA Trustee

27 May 1989

Hon. Patric G. Dorsey
Secretary, DCR, NC

26 May 1990

Robert Ward
Composer and Former NCSA Chancellor

 (transcript)

1 Jun 1991

Chancellor Ewing

Special Teachers and Chancellor’s Awards (4)

30 May 1992

Debbie Allen
Producer, Director, Writer, Choreographer, Performer 

(Honorary D.F.A. & Julia Daniels)

Special Teachers and Chancellor’s Awards, Retiring Staff

29 May 1993

Peter Hedges
Alumnus (Class of ’84 Drama)

Awarding of Honorary D.F.A. to Duncan Noble and Special Teachers and Chancellor’s Award

28 May 1994

Jane Alexander
Chairman of National Endowment of Arts

Special Teachers and Chancellor’s Awards

27 May 1995

Henry J. Pankey
Alumnus (Class of ’74 Drama)

Special Teachers and Chancellor’s Awards

1 Jun 1996

James Houlik
Music Faculty, Saxophonist

Special Teachers and Chancellor’s Awards

31 May 1997

Frank Capra Jr.
Producer

Special Teachers and Chancellor’s Awards, Retiring Faculty

30 May 1998

Alfred Uhry
Playwright, Screenwriter, Lyricist, Librettist

Special Teachers and Chancellor’s Awards, Retiring Faculty

29 May 1999

Kathy Bates
Actress, Director (transcript)

27 May 2000

Robert Mann
Violinist

 (transcript)

2 Jun 2001

Mandy Patinkin
Actor

1 Jun 2002

Dr. William Friday
Academic Administrator and UNC-TV Host

31 May 2003

Twyla Tharp
Dancer and Choreographer

29 May 2004

Rosemary Harris
Actress
HS 

Forrest Whitaker
Actor
College

28 May 2005

Paul Sills
Improvisational Actor
HS

Desmond Heeley
Theatre Designer
College

3 Jun 2006

Robert Lindgren
Dancer and former NCSA Dean
HS

Arthur Laurents
Playwright, Librettist, Director and Screenwriter
College

2 Jun 2007

Rebecca Walker
Author
HS

Danny Elfman
Film Composer
College

31 May 2008

Jesus Moroles
Granite Sculptor
HS

Ming Cho Lee
Set Designer
College

30 May 2009

J.T. Rogers
Alumnus (Class of ’90), Playwright
HS

Kristin Chenoweth
Singer and Actress
College

29 May 2010

Angus MacLachlan
Playwright and Screenwriter
HS

Peter Bogdanovich
American Film Historian, Director,   Writer, Producer, Actor and Critic
College

28 May 2011

Alan Menken
Pianist and Composer
(both ceremonies)

6 May 2012

David Rambo
Playwright and Screenwriter
College

20 May 2012

Julie Kent
American Ballet Dancer
HS

4 May 2013

Jerry Nadal
Arts Management, (Cirque de Soleil)
College

18 May 2013

Thomas Shumacher
Arts Management, (Disney Theatrical Group)
HS

10 May 2014

Jordan Kerner
Hollywood Film Producer, Former UNCSA Dean
College

17 May 2014

Gillian Murphy
Principal Ballet Dancer, ABT
HS

9 May 2015

Cheryl Boone Isaacs 
President, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
College

16 May 2015

David LaChapelle
Visual Artist, Alumnus

7 May 2016

Kelli O’Hara
Actress, Opera Singer
College

14 May 2016

Helen Pickett
Dancer, Choreographer
HS

6 May 2017

Nancy Seruto
Walt Disney Imagineering Executive
College

13 May 2017

Tim Guinee
Alumnus (Drama, ‘85), Actor and Director
HS