Former NASA administrator and astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr. will deliver Ohio State University's spring commencement address this year at Ohio Stadium.
The university announced Bolden will deliver the keynote speech at noon on Sunday, May 4 to a crowd of about 12,000 students receiving degrees and their friends and family.
Bolden, a retired U.S. Marine Corps major general, served as the space agency's 12th director from 2009 to 2017 under former President Barack Obama. He was the first Black man to serve in the role.
“It is quite an honor and privilege to be invited by a dear friend and fellow Naval aviator, President Ted Carter, to deliver the commencement address to The Ohio State University Class of 2025,” Bolden said in a statement. “I am excited to return to campus, where I have enjoyed my affiliation with the John Glenn College of Public Affairs for many years, and to join the graduates and their families in celebrating the completion of their studies at this prestigious institution.”
Carter said that it is an honor and privilege to welcome Bolden to campus.
“Maj. Gen. Bolden is an exceptional leader who has dedicated his life to serving our country. In every role throughout his distinguished career, he has elevated the United States’ safety, security and prosperity," Carter said. "He perfectly embodies the Buckeye mission to serve a purpose greater than ourselves. This will be a special day for our graduates, their loved ones and the entire Ohio State community.”
OSU's choice of Bolden comes one year after social entrepreneur Chris Pan delivered a Spring commencement speech that was widely criticized by attendees and the greater public. His speech included a sales pitch for Bitcoin complete with a magic trick and two songs that he attempted to lead the crowd in.
Bolden served for 34 years in the Marine Corps, including 14 years as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Office. During his time at NASA, Bolden traveled to orbit four times aboard space shuttles between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions and piloting two others.
During those flights, Bolden helped deploy the Hubble Space Telescope and was part of the first joint U.S.-Russian shuttle mission, which featured a cosmonaut as a member of his crew.
Among his other accomplishments, Bolden was the first human being to have his voice broadcast from the surface of Mars via the Curiosity Rover on the planet's surface. Bolden viewed getting astronauts to land and walk on Mars as part of the agency's long-term goals.
Bolden is a native of South Carolina and received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical science from the Naval Academy.
In addition to working with the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, Bolden was awarded an honorary doctorate by Ohio State in 2017 to recognize his innovative impacts on global sustainability and advancing the mission and goals of the NASA program.
