Seniors react to announcement
Admiral Christopher Grady, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will deliver Notre Dame’s 2025 Commencement address, per a March 18 press release—over three months later than last year’s January 16 announcement. The long-awaited decision comes in the wake of widespread debate about whether the university would continue its tradition of inviting the sitting U.S. president or vice president to speak before the graduating class.
Grady is a Notre Dame graduate of the class of 1984 in the Naval ROTC program. As of February, he also serves as the Acting Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the highest ranking military officer in the country. Grady is the recipient of numerous awards, among them the Presidential Service Badge and the Naval title “Old Salt,” given to the longest-serving surface warfare officer on active duty.
Prior to the announcement, students clashed over whether the university should invite Trump. College Democrats posted a letter to President Dowd mentioning Trump’s immigration policies and demanding that he not be invited. College Republicans responded with a post declaring, “Keep the Tradition: Invite President Trump.” Additionally, editorials published in the Observer expressed strong opinions on both sides of the debate, including one argument by the Observer’s Editorial Board in favor of inviting Trump, citing the importance of tradition and intellectual engagement.
Notre Dame has a long-standing tradition of inviting incoming and sitting U.S. presidents to speak at commencement, beginning in 1960 with an invitation to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Since then, Kennedy, Carter, Reagan, G. W. Bush, and Obama have spoken at graduation. Biden was invited by then-President John Jenkins, C.S.C., but declined due to scheduling conflicts.
During Trump’s first term, the university declined to invite the president to commencement, instead extending an invitation to then-Vice President Mike Pence. At the time, President Jenkins expressed concerns about resuming the “political circus” that was the 2009 graduation ceremony, when students, faculty, and alumni expressed outrage over the university’s invitation to President Obama, an open supporter of abortion and other anti-Catholic policies.
Despite this precedent, the university gave no indication in its announcement that either Vance or Trump had been invited for the 2025 graduation ceremony.
Student reactions to the announcement were mixed.
Kevin Heil, a ROTC senior in Morrissey commented to the Rover, “Admiral Grady is the highest ranking Notre Dame grad ever in the military, and until they get a new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he’s the highest ranking person in the whole military. That’s pretty cool.”
Heil continued, “What’s interesting is he comes to campus at least once or twice a semester to come talk to students in ROTC or to give his thoughts on military policy, but when he has visited he doesn’t stray away from that sort of role. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say to 2,000 people, most of whom have nothing to do with the military at all.”
In a comment to the Rover, an anonymous senior said, “I am disappointed the commencement speaker was not President Trump or Vice President Vance, but I understand the Department of Education’s investigation into the University may have complicated the situation.”
As reported by the Rover, the Department of Education has initiated an investigation into 45 universities, including the University of Notre Dame, in an effort to curb Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
The senior added, “While Admiral Grady is someone with an impressive resume, his regular involvement in the Notre Dame community, including speaking on campus earlier this year, makes the choice seem lazy.”
A senior in Siegfried told the Rover, “It would have been cool to have a president. I get there is tension, but it’s still the U.S. president.” The senior continued, “If Fr. Jenkins had the courage to invite President Obama, whom people also disliked, then why couldn’t Fr. Dowd show what Notre Dame is—a place that works for the greater good and doesn’t hide away from things that anger people? It feels like he is completely disregarding the mantra of ‘What would you fight for?’”
Heil said, “He is a great speaker and I’ve been fortunate enough to hear a ton of his military stories. As somebody who is about to be in the military, it’s a really cool experience. I hope he is able to find a way to relate to the general population of the university too, and I have no doubt he will in one way or another.”
The commencement exercises for the class of 2025 are scheduled to take place on May 18.
Lucy Spence is a sophomore from northern Virginia majoring in piano performance and the Program of Liberal Studies. She was disappointed to learn she wasn’t invited to speak at commencement. Send your condolences at lspence@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of U.S. Department of Defense
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