Hillsdale College Hosts 167th Commencement Ceremony
Address to graduates given by Marine Corps Commandant General Robert B. Neller
Hillsdale, Mich. – On May 11, 2019, Hillsdale College hosted its 167th Commencement Ceremony. General Robert B. Neller, 37th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, delivered the Commencement address.
“At the end of the day, they’re going to say something about us. And the first part of that sentence has already been written. It’s going to say your name, your hometown, and it’s going to say ‘Hillsdale Graduate,’ and then there’s a space,” Neller said in his address. “Someone’s going to write something in that space. So, what do you want it to say? This college has given you the foundation to fill that space in the right and proper way.”
General Neller, former commander of the Marine Forces Command, addressed the Class of 2019 in the Margot V. Biermann Athletic Center on Hillsdale’s campus where 351 undergraduates, 13 master’s students, and four doctoral students were conferred degrees. The Class of 2019 graduated with an average GPA of 3.33, and the top areas of study included economics, English, history, biology, and financial management.
“Know from us, seniors, that you are a special bunch of people. We’re going to miss you, but this is still home,” said Larry P. Arnn, President of Hillsdale College. “You are to be marked an educated person, through a difficult curriculum—that you chose knowing it was harder than most—and you have come here and you have thrived and excelled, and we are grateful to you.”