A glam-rocker, a talk show queen and the Don of gangster movies: The ultimate US college commencement speeches

A book of collected commencement speeches would serve as the ultimate self-help guide. In the meantime, enjoy the pick of this year’s addresses and, below these, highlights from recent years.

Aaron Sorkin, Syracuse University, 2012

Alice Cooper, the Musician’s Institute, 2012

Oprah Winfrey, Spelman College, 2012

Sheryl Sandberg, Harvard, 2012

Robert DeNiro, Bates College, 2012

Steve Jobs, Stanford, 2005

David Foster Wallace, Kenyon College, 2005

Bill Gates, Harvard, 2007

JK Rowling, Harvard, 2008

Ellen DeGeneres, Tulane University, 2009

Sheryl Sanberg, Barnard College, 2011

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• seoras1

  A guest at a Yale graduation began his commencement speech saying “I shall base my address on the four letters of your college; Y is for youth” and he spoke for 20 minutes-”A is for aspiration” and he spoke a further 20 minutes-”L is for learning ” -another 20 minutes- “and finally, E is for excellence”.
  Avoice from the rear of the hall said “Thank God this isn’t the Massachusetts Institute of Technology” !

  george Macleod