Yaf 2015 Commencement Speakers Survey

YAFs
2015 Annual Commencement Speaker Survey

Methodology

Commencement speakers were found in online announcements on the universities' websites or in a news source. This list
includes undergraduate speakers from the top 100 universities in 2015 as identified by US News and World Report. Schools
that had multiple undergraduate speakers are included individually.

To be classified as a liberal or conservative speaker, the speaker has:
Made a public financial contribution to a liberal/conservative candidate
If speaker gave to multiple ideologies, Presidential candidates trump local candidates. If no donation to a
Presidential candidate, more than 75% of donations went to one ideology over the other.
Made a ideological public statement
Google and Google News search their name. If in the first two pages of searches an article or speech comes up,
examine the speech for clear ideological statements.
Google and Google News search their name along with key issues of the day: climate change, Obamacare,
minimum wage, and the Middle East. If in the first two pages of searches an article or speech comes up, examine
the speech for clear ideological statements.
If a journalist, search Media Research Center database for potentially biased statements.
Made public statements in support of 2012 presidential office-seekers
Google and Google News search their name along with the terms "Obama" and "Romney." If in the first two
pages of searches, look for public articles indicating support for one candidates ideas over another.
Been a candidate for public office.
Been a political appointee in a Presidential administration.
Self-identified with one ideology over another.

If speaker does not fit these criteria, list as "unknown." A "clear ideological statement" is subject to the opinion of researcher,
cross-checked by another member of Young Americas Foundation staff. While not all speakers listed as liberal or conservative
will mention ideology in their speech, this methodology should give a fair and clear picture of the ideological makeup of the
2015 speakers.

Study Data
Name
Ranking
State
# of
Students
8,014
$41,820
Lisa P. Jackson
Massachusetts
19,882
$43,938
Deval L. Patrick
Speaker Description
Former admin of the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency, appointed by
President Barack Obama
Former Governor of
Massachusetts
Connecticut
12,109
$45,800
Joe Biden
US Vice President
Liberal
(Candidate for office, Democrat Governor)

(Candidate for office, Democrat Vice
President)
Columbia University
New York
23,606
$51,008
Eric Garcetti
Liberal
(Candidate for office, Democrat Mayor)
Stanford University
California
18,136
$44,757
Richard Engel
Mayor of Los Angeles

Chief Foreign
Correspondent, NBC News
Unknown
University of Chicago
Illinois
12,539
$48,253
Kenneth Pomeranz
Liberal
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
Massachusetts
11,301
$45,016
Megan Smith
Liberal
(Political Appointee, Assistant to Pres.

Obama)
Duke University
North Carolina
15,465
$47,488
Paul Farmer
Liberal
(Public Donations, More than $3,000 to

Liberal Candidates and Causes)
University of Pennsylvania
California Institute of
Technology
Pennsylvania
21,358
$47,688
Samantha Power
University of Chicago
Professor, History
U.S. Chief Technology
Officer, Assistant to
President Barack Obama
Chair of Department of
Global Health and Social
Medicine at Harvard
Medical School
U.S. Permanent
Representative to the
United Nations, Pulitzer
Prize-Winning Author

(Public Donations, $5,800 to Liberal
Candidates and Causes (MoveOn.org PAC,
Barack Obama))
10
California
2,181
$43,362
Genevieve Bell
Cultural Anthropologist
Liberal
Dartmouth College
11
New Hampshire
6,342
$48,108
David Brooks
Conservative
Johns Hopkins University
12
Maryland
21,052
$47,060
Dr. Ed Catmull
New York Times Columnist

President, Pixar Animation
Studios and Walt Disney
Animation Studios
Northwestern University
Washington University in St.
Louis
13
Illinois
20,997
$47,251
Virginia Rometty
Chairman, President &

CEO of IBM
Liberal
14
Missouri
14,032
$46,467
Ken Burns
Filmmaker, Historian
Liberal
Cornell University
15
New York
21,593
$47,286
Gabby Giffords
Former Congresswoman
Liberal
Princeton University
New Jersey
Harvard University
Yale University
Tuition
Commencement Speaker '15
Affiliation
Justification
Liberal
(Political Appointee, EPA Administrator

under Pres. Obama)
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
(Political Appointee, UN Ambassador for

Pres. Obama)
(Public Donations, More than $2,000 to
Barack Obama)
(Self-Identified,
http://news.yahoo.com/david-brooks-
new-york-times-aspen-053134080.html)
(Public Donations, $1,500 to DNC)

(Political Appointee, Pres. Obama's Export
Commission,
https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-
office/2013/09/18/president-obama-
announces-more-key-administration-posts)
(Political donations, major contributions to
DNC, Obama, NH Dem Party)
(Candidate for office, Democrat
Congresswoman)
Cornell University
Brown University
16
Rhode Island
University of Notre Dame
16
Vanderbilt University
Mark Kelly
Former NASA astronaut
Liberal

Oxford University
Chancellor
President and CEO, Aspen
Institute
Former United States
Secretary of State
8,943
$47,434
Student Speakers
Indiana
12,124
$46,237
Christopher Patten
16
Texas
12,757
$43,838
Walter Isaacson
Rice University
19
Texas
6,628
$40,566
Colin Powell
University of California-
Berkeley
20
California
36,204
$25,064
Marc Benioff
Emory University
21
Georgia
14,513
$45,008
Salman Rushdie
CEO, Salesforce
Author and Human Rights
Advocate
Georgetown University
21
Washington, D.C.
17,849
$46,744
Ban Ki-moon
Former UN Secretary-
General
Conservative
Liberal
(Political donations, runs major liberal

Super PAC)

(Candidate for office, former Conservative
UK Parliament member)
(Political donations, more than 80% of
donations to liberal candidates)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Congressman
Elaine Chao
Admiral Thad W. Allen
(Retired)
Former Secretary of Labor

Executive Vice President,
Booz Allen Hamilton
Independent (Bush official, supported Obama twice)

(Political donations and public statements,
Obama national campaign co-chair (Raised
$500k); Opposed Pence's RFRA,
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/m
arc-benioff-mike-pence-religious-freedom-
Liberal
bill)
(Political donations, $1,000 to Barack
Liberal
Obama)
(Public statements, climate change,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/
04/un-chief-climate-change-ban-ki-
Liberal
moon_n_5262410.html)
(Candidate for office, Democrat
Liberal
Congressman)
(Political Appointee, Sec. of Labor for Pres.
Conservative Bush)
(Political donation, Gave $5,000 to
Liberal
Giffords' and Kelly's liberal PAC)
Vikram Patel
Professor
Unknown
Charlie Rose
News Anchor, PBS
Liberal
University of California-Los
Angeles
23
California
42,190
$35,580
Nathan Myhrvold
Intellectual Ventures co-

founder
Liberal

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/geoffrey-
dickens/2014/04/01/charlie-rose-slams-
climate-deniers-invites-expert-predicted-
north-)
http://www.geekwire.com/2014/bill-
gates-hank-paulson-nathan-myhrvold-
want-solve-worlds-biggest-problem/;
Political donation, Pres. Obama
inauguration committee)
University of Virginia
23
Virginia
23,464
$42,184
Terry McAuliffe
Virginia Governor
Liberal
(Candidate for office, Democrat Governor)
Bob Bruner
Darden School Dean, UVA
Conservative
University of Virginia
Carnegie Mellon University
25
Pennsylvania
12,991
$48,786
Alan Alda
Actor
Liberal
(Public Donation, $3,000 to RNC)

(Public Donations, More the $50,000 to
liberal candidates, including John Kerry)
University of Southern
25
California
41,368
$48,280
Mellody Hobson
President, Ariel
Liberal
(Public Donations, Mega-donor to

California
Investments
Tufts University
27
Massachusetts
10,872
$48,643
Madeleine Albright
Wake Forest University
27
South Carolina
7,602
$46,200
Stephen Colbert

Secretary of State
Author, Comedian,
Television Personality
Ari Weinzweig
Co-Founder and CEO of

Zingermans Community of
Business
University of Michigan-Ann
Arbor
University of Michigan-Ann
Arbor
University of North Carolina-
Chapel Hill
29
Michigan
43,710
$41,811
Paul Saginaw
Co-Founder and CEO of

Zingermans Community of
Business
Media and Entertainment
Innovator
Democrats, including Barack Obama)
Liberal
(Political appointee, Sec. of State for Bill

Clinton)
(Public donations, more than $4,000 to
liberal candidates)
(Public statements, minimum wage,
http://blog.dol.gov/2014/10/20/a-small-
business-owners-perspective-a-high-road-
on-the-minimum-wage/)
(Public statements, Supports Obama,
Higher minimum wage,
http://markmaynard.com/2014/04/zinger
mans-founder-paul-saginaw-on-meeting-
obama-raising-the-minimum-wage-and-
investing-in-your-employees-instead-of-
lobbyists/)
(Public donations, $2,500 to liberal
candidates)
Unknown
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
30
North Carolina
29,127
$33,624
Jason Kilar
Boston College
31
Massachusetts
13,525
$47,436
Joseph Cupich
New York University
32
New York
44,599
$46,170
Sherrilyn Ifill
College of William and Mary
33
Virginia
8,376
$39,360
Condoleeza Rice
Chicago Archbishop
director of the NAACP's
Legal Defense and
Educational Fund
Secretary of State
University of Rochester
33
New York
11,020
$46,960
Deborah Bial
founder and president of

The Posse Foundation
Liberal
Brandeis University
Georgia Institute of
Technology
Georgia Institute of
Technology
35
Massachusetts
5,825
$47,833
Thomas Pickering

Ambassador
Liberal
35
Georgia
21,471
$30,698
Arne Duncan
University of California-San
Diego
Case Western Reserve
University
37
California
28,731
$36,180
Christiana Figueres
38
Ohio
10,325
$43,158
Barry Meyer
US Secretary of Education
Commander, Supreme
Allied Command, Europe
Executive Secretary of the
United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC)
Former Warner Bros.
Chairman & CEO
38
California
33,307
$36,774
Student Speakers
Gen. Philip M. Breedlove
Liberal
(Public donations, donated $500 to Barack

Obama)
(Political appointee, Sec. of State for G.W.
Bush)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/an
swer-sheet/wp/2014/05/29/i-belong-to-a-
generation-that-has-fundamentally-failed-
you-commencement-speaker/)
(Public statements, Middle East,
http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/04/08/
brandeis-u-questioned-over-
commencement-speaker-pickerings-
remarks-on-israel/)
(Political appointee, Pres. Obama's
cabinet)
Unknown
Liberal
Liberal

http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/05/climate
-chief-world-economy/)
(Public Donations, Mega-donor to liberals,
more than 80% to liberals)
Liberal
Conservative

Davis
Lehigh University
40
Pennsylvania
Santa Barbara
40
California
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara
7,096
$44,890
Walter Isaacson
22,225
$36,624
Jose Hernandez
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
(Political appointee, Gov. Jerry Brown (D-

CA))
John Nava
Ashley Conrad-Saydah
Howard Wenger
Lorraine McDonnell
Cynthia Stohl
Fine Artist
Deputy secretary for
climate policy, California
Agency
President of regions,
SunPower Corporation
UCSB professor of political
science
UCSB professor of
communication
Josh Elliott
Television journalist, NBC

Sports
Liberal
Television Talk Show Host,

Journalist
Liberal
42
Massachusetts
32,411
$46,664
Meredith Vieira
Northeastern University
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute
Irvine
University of Illinois-Urbana-
Champaign
42
Massachusetts
20,034
$43,440
David Muir
42
New York
6,995
$47,908
Admiral Michelle Howard
42
California
28,895
$37,635
Not Announced
42
Illinois
44,942
$30,228
Rissa Lavizzo-Mourey
47
Wisconsin
43,275
$26,660
Katie Couric
48
Pennsylvania
46,615
$30,452
Daniel J. Eichenlaub
(Political donations, more than 80% of

donations to liberal candidates)
(Candidate for office, liberal candidate for
Congress)
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/0
4/30/sepr-a29.html)
Liberal
Boston University
University of Wisconsin-
Madison
Pennsylvania State
University-University Park
President and CEO, Aspen

Institute
NASA astronaut and
Former Democrat
Congressional Candidate
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-
whitlock/2012/03/26/screw-objectivity-
abcs-josh-elliott-im-proud-work-place-
believes-adv)
http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/new-
today-co-host-anti-war-protester-war-
built-lies-462006)
(Public statements, bias toward Barack
Obama, against Mitt Romney,
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-
whitlock/2014/09/01/latest-world-news-
anchor-david-muir-loves-cool-kid-obama-
mocked)
Unknown

President and CEO, Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation
Television Journalist
president and co-founder,
Eichenlaub Inc
Liberal

(Public donations, Barack Obama, John
Kerry)
(Public statements, MRC documented
history of bias,
http://archive.mrc.org/projects/couric/wel
come.asp)
Unknown
News Anchor, ABC World

News Tonight
Vice Chief of Naval
Operations
Unknown
(Public Donations, major donation to DNC)

(Public donations, Barack Obama, DNC,
Dem Candidates, Liz Warren)
Liberal

Pennsylvania State
Pennsylvania State
Pennsylvania State
O. Richard Dick Bundy
Jerome Griffith
Jayne Jamison
professor of music
education, Penn State
CEO and president, TUMI
Senior vice president and
publisher, O, The Oprah
Magazine
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Liberal

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions
/the-impact-of-climate-
change/2014/04/18/218f7b0a-c63c-11e3-
b708-471bae3cb10c_story.html)
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown

(Public donations, Major DNC/Obama
Donor)
(Public donations, Major DNC/Obama
Donor)
(Public donations, )Donated to Kerry for
President)
University of Florida
48
Florida
49,878
$28,591
W. Kent Fuchs
economist and senior

fellow, Resources for the
Future
Director and Distinguished
Chair in Education Policy,
RAND Education
President and CEO, Videon
Central
Senior adviser for program
development, Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation
co-founder and CEO,
Weebly.com
Professor, Penn State
College of Nursing
professor of medicine at
Harvard Medical School
President, University of
Florida
University of Miami
48
Florida
16,935
$44,350
Jimmy Buffet
Performing artist
Liberal

(Public donations, Mega-donor to liberal
candidates)
University of Washington
48
Washington
43,762
$33,513
Not Announced
Yeshiva University
48
New York
6,744
$38,730
Dr. Ruth Wisse
Conservative
(Public donations, George W. Bush)
University of Texas-Austin
53
Texas
52,059
$34,722
Darren Walker

Yiddish Scholar, literary
and social critic
President, Ford
Foundation
Liberal
George Washington
University
54
Washington, D.C.
25,264
$48,760
Tim Cook
Liberal
Ohio State University-

Columbus
54
Ohio
57,466
$26,537
Archie Griffin
CEO, Apple
President & CEO, Ohio
State University Alumni
Association
(Public donations, Obama Donor)

(Public statements, climate change;
religious freedom,
http://www.theguardian.com/environmen
t/2014/mar/03/tim-cook-climate-change-
skeptics-ditch-apple-shares;
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/new
s/apple-ceo-tim-cook-slams-indianas-
religious-freedom-law-20150330)
Liberal
(Public donations, liberal congressional

candidate)
Pennsylvania State
Pennsylvania State
Pennsylvania State
Pennsylvania State
Pennsylvania State
Pennsylvania State
Pennsylvania State
Joel Darmstadter
V. Darleen Opfer
Todd Erdley
Jane Isaacs Lowe
David Rusenko
Ann Kolanowski
Dr. Theodore I. Steinman
Liberal
Liberal
Liberal
Unknown
Pepperdine University
54
California
7,315
$46,692
Elizabeth Holmes
Founder and CEO,

Theranos
Tulane University
54
Louisiana
13,462
$48,305
Maya Rudolph
Fordham University
Southern Methodist
University
58
New York
15,097
$43,577
Nana Lordina Dramani

Mahama
58
Texas
10,929
$45,940
George W. Bush
First Lady of Ghana

Former President of the
United States
Syracuse University
58
New York
21,267
$41,886
Mary Karr
Award-winning poet and

Memoirist
Liberal
Gives to both parties

(Self-identified,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2006/04/18/AR20060
41801943_pf.html)
(Public donations, conservative mega-
donor)
(Public statements, minimum wage/wage
equality,
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/10/
20/exclusive-watch-amy-poehler-maya-
rudolph-navigate-economy-as-alpacas/)
(Self-identified, socialist party in Ghana,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Draman
i_Mahama)
(Candidate for office, Republican
President)
(Public statements, supports
Obama/Obamacare,
https://twitter.com/marykarrlit/status/390
502410483159040)
University of Connecticut
58
Connecticut
25,911
$32,880
Timothy Scott Case
founding CTO of Priceline
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Conservative
(Public donations, gave $1,000 to

conservative candidates)
Brit Hume
Unknown
Conservative
Fred Sands
Former Fox News Anchor

chair of Vintage Real
Estate, LLC
Actress and Comedian
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
Conservative
Helen Hays
Barbara Medoff-Cooper
Michael Melio
Harriet Sanford
Robert J. Shiller

Chair in Pediatric Nursing
at the University of
Pennsylvania
Founder, Western
Piedmont Metal and
United American Steel
Company
president and CEO of the
National Education
Association (NEA)
Foundation
Nobel Prize in Economic
Sciences in 2013
Liberal
(Public donations, Edwards for President

and liberal candidates)
(Public donations, liberal candidates; self-
identified Keynesian)
Dr. Anne Tanner
microbiologist, professor
Liberal
(Public donations, Obama Donor)
Leslie Uggams
Musician
President, Brigham Young
University
Unknown
Unknown

President, Purdue
University
Conservative
(Public Donation, Conservative Donor)
Bringham Young University
62
Utah
31,123
$5,000
Kevin J. Worthen
Clemson University
Purdue University-West
Lafayette
62
South Carolina
21,303
$30,816
Not Announced
62
Indiana
38,788
$28,804
Mitch Daniels
Liberal
Liberal
(Public statements, Calls voter ID laws

"restrictive," MRC database,
http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/abcs-gma-
decries-restrictive-voter-id-laws-struck-
down-texas-and-wisconsin)
Liberal
(Public Donation, Democrat Donor)
Charles Bolden
Athlete, Philanthropist
Astronaut, Retired U.S.
Marine Corps
Liberal
$26,356
Not Announced
6,296
$42,778
Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr.
Former NASA astronaut
Liberal
New Jersey
48,036
$28,591
Bill Nye
Liberal
Washington, D.C.
12,819
$41,833
William K. Reilly
Conservative
(Self-Identified Republican, EPA Admin

under Bush)
Liberal
Liberal
(Political appointee, Obama appointee)
Conservative
(Political appointee, Bush appointee )
Liberal
(Public donation, Major Obama donor)
University of Georgia
University of Maryland-
College Park
62
Georgia
34,536
$29,046
Amy Robach
62
Maryland
37,272
$29,720
Domonique Foxworth
University of Pittsburgh
Texas A&M University -
College Station
Worcester Polytechnic
Institute
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey-
New Brunswick
62
Pennsylvania
28,649
$28,168
68
Texas
57,795
68
Massachusetts
70
American University
71
Anchor, "Good Morning

America"
American University
Sheila C. Johnson
American University
Dr. Kathryn Sullivan
American University
Mark Weinberger
American University
Robert F. Smith
CEO, Planetary Society

Former Administrator, U.S.
Agency
CEO, Salamander Hotels
and Resorts
Under Secretary of
Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere and
Administrator
Global Chairman & CEO of
EY,
Founder, Chairman and
CEO, Vista Equity Partners
Baylor University
71
Texas
15,616
$38,290
Not Announced
University of Iowa
University of Minnesota-
Twin Cities
71
Iowa
31,065
$27,409
Not Announced
71
Minnesota
51,526
$20,876
Santino Fontana
Unknown
Virginia Tech
71
Virginia
31,205
$27,444
Eric Schmidt
Actor
Executive Chairman,
Google
Liberal
Clark University
Indiana University-
Bloomington
76
Massachusetts
3,551
$40,730
Matt Goldman
Co-Founder, Blue Man

Group
Liberal

(Public statement, climate change,
http://www.dailyclimate.org/tdc-
newsroom/2010/04/a-different-climate-
message)
76
Indiana
46,817
$33,241
Sage Steele
Sports Broadcaster
Unknown
Marquette University
76
Wisconsin
11,782
$35,930
Sister Peggy O'Neill
Founder, El Centro Arte

Para la Paz
Liberal

(Public statement, "commitment to social
justice,"
http://newspress.furman.edu/2013/04/sist
er-peggy-oneill-commencement-address/)
17,901
$30,394
Bonnie St. John
New Jersey
5,784
$44,490
Kevin Mandia
Author, Paralympic Skiing

Medalist, Former White
House Official
Security Executive and
President, FireEye Inc.
76
New York
2,373
$16,953
Mary Karr
Texas Christian University
76
Texas
9,925
$38,600
University of Delaware
University of Massachusetts
- Amherst
76
Delaware
21,308
76
Massachusetts
Michigan State University
85
Michigan
Miami University - Oxford

Stevens Institute of
Technology
SUNY College of
Environmental Science and
Forestry
76
Ohio
76
Michigan State University

University of California -
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz

85
Liberal
(Political appointee, Clinton appointee)
Unknown
Award-winning poet and

Memoirist
Liberal
Not Announced
$30,692
David G. DeWalt
Former President & CEO,

McAfee Inc.
Liberal

(Political appointee, Obama appointee on
National Security Telecommunications
Advisory Council (NSTAC) -
https://www.crunchbase.com/person/davi
d-dewalt)
28,518
$28,813
Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Liberal
49,343
$34,980
Bob Chapek
Astrophysicist
chairperson of Walt Disney
Parks and Resorts
chairperson and CEO of
The Dow Chemical Co
Liberal
Unknown
Congresswoman
professor of history at the
University of Colorado at
Boulder
Liberal

(Candidate for Office, Democrat
congresswoman)
Liberal
Unknown
Unknown
California

17,203
$36,276
Andrew Liveris
Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD)
Patricia Limerick
Dom Siababa
Jorge Valdes

education advisor at the
U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office
University of Vermont
Binghamton University -
SUNY
85
Vermont
12,723
$37,874
Nina Totenberg
Legal Affairs
Correspondent, NPR
Liberal

(Public statement, Obamacare,
https://twitter.com/ninatotenberg/status/
573090556722593793)
88
New York
16,077
$20,259
Student Speakers
Colorado School of Mines

Stony Brook University-
SUNY
Stony Brook University-
SUNY
88
Colorado
5,608
$33,598
Steven Swanson
NASA Astronaut
Unknown
88
New York
24,143
$21,850
Billy Joel
Musician
Liberal

(Public Donation, Democrat Donor; Public
endorsement, Barack Obama)
Charles B. Wang
Businessman
Unknown

Former Chairman and
President, Hearst
Magazines
Unknown
(Gave heavily to both parties)
University of Alabama
88
Alabama
34,752
$24,950
None
University of Colorado-
Boulder
88
Colorado
31,702
$33,151
Cathleen Black

University of Denver
88
Colorado
11,778
$42,090
Sen. Michael Bennet
Senator (D-CO)
Liberal
(Candidate for office, Democrat Senator)
University of Tulsa
88
Oklahoma
4,597
$34,704
Not Announced
Drexel University
95
Pennsylvania
23,620
$47,051
Noam Chomsky
Professor
Liberal

(Public Donation, gave to socialist
candidate Bernie Sanders)
Tennis Legend
Winner of the 2011 Nobel
Prize in chemistry
Acclaimed Philadelphia-
born fashion designer
Justice of the Florida
Supreme Court
Liberal
(Public Donations, liberal megadonor)
Unknown
Liberal
(Public Donation, Democrat Donor
Unknown

(Political appointee, President Obama;
Public statements, climate change,
http://news.sciencemag.org/policy/2014/1
0/battle-between-nsf-and-house-science-
committee-escalates-how-did-it-get-bad)
Obama appointee for Justice Department,
but not partisan
Drexel University
Billie Jean King
Drexel University
Dan Shechtman
Drexel University
Ralph Rucci
Florida State University
95
Florida
40,909
$21,673
Jorge Labarga
North Carolina State

University-Raleigh
95
North Carolina
34,009
$23,551
France A. Crdova
University of San Diego
95
California
8,321
$42,908
Father Gregory Boyle
University of San Diego
Albert P. Carey, CEO
99
Missouri
13,505
$37,966
Garry Kasparov
Chess Legend
Conservative
University of Missouri
99
Missouri
34,658
$24,460
Not Announced
Liberal Speakers in Blue

Conservative Speakers in
Red
Unknown, Not Announced,
and Student Speakers in
Green
87
14
Unknown
Saint Louis University

TOTALS
Liberal

(Public statement, opposes Obama,
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/20
15/03/03/garry_kasparov_obama_should_
resign_proven_to_be_weak_leader.html)

KEY
National Science
Foundation Director
Founder, Homeboy
Industries
PepsiCo Americas
Beverages
46

6-to-1 liberal to conservative
Liberal political appointees

and candidates in Blue
Writing
Conservative political
appointees and candidates
in Red Writing
Unknown

20

American leaders only

Yaf 2015 Commencement Speakers Survey

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Yaf 2015 Commencement Speakers Survey

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YAFs

2015 Annual Commencement Speaker Survey

(Candidate for office, Democrat Governor)

(Candidate for office, Democrat Mayor)

Mayor of Los Angeles

(Political Appointee, Assistant to Pres.

(Public Donations, More than $3,000 to

Johns Hopkins University

New York Times Columnist

Chairman, President &

Commencement Speaker '15

(Political Appointee, EPA Administrator

(Political Appointee, UN Ambassador for

(Public Donations, $1,500 to DNC)

University of Notre Dame

Former NASA astronaut

(Political donations, runs major liberal

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)

Former Secretary of Labor

Independent (Bush official, supported Obama twice)

News Anchor, PBS

Intellectual Ventures co-

(Candidate for office, Democrat Governor)

Darden School Dean, UVA

Carnegie Mellon University

(Public Donation, $3,000 to RNC)

(Public Donations, Mega-donor to

Wake Forest University

Former United States

Co-Founder and CEO of

Co-Founder and CEO of

Democrats, including Barack Obama)

(Political appointee, Sec. of State for Bill

New York University

College of William and Mary

founder and president of

Former United States

Gen. Philip M. Breedlove

(Public donations, donated $500 to Barack

(Public statements, climate change,

(Political appointee, Gov. Jerry Brown (D-

Television journalist, NBC

Television Talk Show Host,

Admiral Michelle Howard

(Political donations, more than 80% of

President and CEO, Aspen

News Anchor, ABC World

(Public Donations, major donation to DNC)

O. Richard Dick Bundy

economist and senior

Dr. Ruth Wisse

(Public donations, George W. Bush)

Ohio State University-

(Public donations, Obama Donor)

(Public donations, liberal congressional

Jane Isaacs Lowe

Dr. Theodore I. Steinman

Founder and CEO,

Nana Lordina Dramani

First Lady of Ghana

Award-winning poet and

Gives to both parties

Timothy Scott Case

founding CTO of Priceline