Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Commencement

Hobart and William Smith celebrated Commencement 2025 on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 9 a.m. on the Quad.

NANCY GIBBS DELIVERed 2025 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS, RECEIVEd BLACKWELL AWARD

Hobart and William Smith honored Nancy Gibbs as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18. A renowned journalist, presidential historian and Harvard professor, Gibbs made history as the first woman to serve as Editor in Chief of TIME magazine. In recognition of her influential contributions to media and public discourse, she also received the prestigious Elizabeth Blackwell Award at the Commencement exercises.

In addition, the HWS Board of Trustees unanimously voted to recognize the achievements of Gibbs and five distinguished community advocates with honorary degrees. Along with Gibbs, Honorary Degree Recipients include:

• Patrisha Blue ’77, director of the Martin Luther King Memorial Choir and a longtime Geneva community leader
• Geoffrey Herd, world renowned musician and founder of the Geneva Music Festival
• Mary Jane M. Poole P'91, steadfast supporter of Hobart and William Smith whose engagement and philanthropy has shaped our campus and the lives of HWS students
• Stephen Wyckoff and Janet Wyckoff, dedicated philanthropists with a special focus on Geneva’s children

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