The following is a list of keynote speakers at the commencement of Fordham University.
Commencement Speakers 1941–present[1]
| Year | Speaker(s) | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Bishop J. Francis McIntyre | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1942 | Rev. Robert Gannon | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1943 | Rev. Robert Gannon | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1944 | Rev. Robert Gannon | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1945 | Major General Sir Walter Maxwell Scott | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1946 | President Truman also received an honorary degree and gave an address but this was not at June Commencement, it was in May | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1947 | Msgr. Ferdinand Vandry | Director of Laval University | style=text-align:center | |
| 1948 | Rev. Robert Gannon | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1949 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1950 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1951 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1952 | Msgr. John Middleton | Education secretary Arch of New York | style=text-align:center | |
| 1953 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1954 | Robert D. Murphy | Deputy Under Secretary of State | style=text-align:center | |
| 1955 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1956 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1957 | Rev. Laurence McGinley | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1958 | W.A. Harriman | Governor of New York | style=text-align:center | |
| 1959 | Cardinal Cushing | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1960 | Dr. Charles H. Malik | President of United Nations General Assembly | style=text-align:center | |
| 1961 | Joseph W. McGovern | Fordham law professor and member of NYS Board of Regents | style=text-align:center | |
| 1962 | Teodoro Moscoso | Coordinator of The Alliance for Progress | style=text-align:center | |
| 1963 | First Director of the Peace Corps | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1964 | style=text-align:center | |||
| 1965 | style=text-align:center | |||
| 1966 | Rev. Vincent T O'Keefe | President of Fordham | style=text-align:center | |
| 1967 | Former Attorney General and United States Senator | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1968 | Leo McGlaughlin | Eulogy and mass for Robert F. Kennedy | style=text-align:center | |
| 1969 | Former United States Senator | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1970 | style=text-align:center | |||
| 1971 | James Hester | President of New York University | style=text-align:center | |
| 1972 | United Nations Secretary General and former Wehrmacht spy | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1973 | Dr. Ernest Boyer | Chancellor of State University of New York | style=text-align:center | |
| 1974 | style=text-align:center | |||
| 1975 | style=text-align:center | |||
| 1976 | style=text-align:center | |||
| 1977 | Thomas A. Murphy | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1978 | Actor | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1979 | National Security Advisor | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1980 | United States Secretary of Health and Human Services | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1981 | style=text-align:center | |||
| 1982 | Irish Poet | |||
| 1983 | Investment Banker and Diplomat | |||
| 1984 | Rev. James Finlay | Former President of Fordham | ||
| 1985 | Governor of New York | |||
| 1986 | Founder of Coalition for the Homeless | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1987 | New York Senator | |||
| 1988 | Radio and Television Commentator and Writer | |||
| 1989 | Former President of Georgetown University | |||
| 1990 | Lawyer and Bond Trader | |||
| 1991 | Children's Rights Activist | |||
| 1992 | Indiana Congressman | |||
| 1993 | Journalist specializing in religious topics | |||
| 1994 | Writer best known for his works on American public education | |||
| 1995 | President of Ireland | style=text-align:center | ||
| 1996 | Jesuit Priest, Civic Leader, and Fordham President | |||
| 1997 | Author of Suspense Novels | |||
| 1998 | Judge | |||
| 1999 | George Mitchell | Former Maine Senator; Magician | ||
| 2000 | Sportscaster | |||
| 2001 | Comedian and Actor | |||
| 2002 | Mass-Media Businessman | |||
| 2003 | Broadcast Journalist | |||
| 2004 | Television Journalist and Lawyer | |||
| 2005 | Lawyer and former President of New York University | |||
| 2006 | Political Commentator, Talk Show Host, and Author | |||
| 2007 | Major League Baseball Player | |||
| 2008 | Television Journalist and Talk Show Host | |||
| 2009 | Journalist and Author | |||
| 2010 | President of Ireland | style=text-align:center | ||
| 2011 | NBC News Journalist | |||
| 2012 | Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | |||
| 2013 | NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent | |||
| 2014 | Professional Baseball Player | |||
| 2015 | First Lady of Ghana | |||
| 2016 | Physician, academic, and CEO of the Smithsonian Institution | |||
| 2017 | Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga | Salesian and Cardinal of the Catholic Church from Honduras; New York State Senator | [2] | |
| 2018 | President & CEO of the Queens Library and former New York City schools chancellor | [3] | ||
| 2019 | Disability Rights activist and Chairman of the Special Olympics | [4] | ||
| 2022 | Calvin O. Butts | American Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church | [5] | |
| 2023 | Stevie Wonder | American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer | [6] | |
| 2024 | Joseph P. Kennedy III | United States Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs | [7] | |