Georgetown University to Hold Class of 2026 Commencement May 14-17 in Washington, DC

Speakers at historic Hilltop Campus will include NFL legend, former secretary of state, automotive CEO, and World Food Programme leader

Georgetown University will hold commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2026 on the weekend of May 14-17. Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, and John Kerry, a former secretary of state, are among the 12 speakers who will address the Class of 2026 at Georgetown's Washington, DC, commencement this year.

Each of the undergraduate, graduate and professional schools at the University will hold its own ceremony featuring different marquee speakers, including (in alphabetical order):

• Mary Beard, professor emerita of classics, University of Cambridge (Graduate Commencement)
• Tom Brady, seven-time Super Bowl champion; lead NFL analyst, Fox Sports; entrepreneur (McDonough School of Business: undergraduate ceremony)
• Comfort Ero, president & CEO, International Crisis Group (Walsh School of Foreign Service: graduate ceremony)
• James Farley Jr. (C'85), president and CEO, Ford(College of Arts & Sciences)
• Essya Hanachi (B'91), senior finance executive and former CFO, U.S. Personal Banking, Citigroup (McDonough School of Business: graduate ceremony)
• Merve Hickok, president, Center for AI and Digital Policy(School of Continuing Studies)
• John Kerry, 68th U.S. Secretary of State; former U.S. senator (Walsh School of Foreign Service: undergraduate ceremony)
• Dr. Kedar Mate, founder & chief medical officer, Qualified Health AI (School of Health)
• Cindy McCain, executive director, World Food Programme; former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture (McCourt School of Public Policy)
• Dr. Carlos Pellegrini, former chief medical officer, professor and chair emeritus, University of Washington Medicine (School of Medicine)
• Morton Schapiro, professor and president emeritus, Northwestern University (Georgetown University Law Center)
• Mary Wakefield, former acting deputy secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Berkley School of Nursing)

WHEN

Thursday, May 14, through Sunday, May 17, 2026

A full schedule of ceremonies and celebrations is available online.

WHERE:

Georgetown University
Hilltop Campus
37th & O Streets NW
Washington, DC

Almost all ceremonies will take place on Healy Lawn, just inside Georgetown's front gate. In the event of severe weather, Healy Lawn events will be held at McDonough Arena on Georgetown's Hilltop Campus. See the full schedule for more details.

RSVP:

To request credentials to cover commencement on campus, members of the media must email [email protected]. Please specify the ceremony or ceremonies you are requesting, and if you will need a camera position.

Georgetown University is a private campus. Permission must be granted by the Georgetown University Office of Communications in advance of media attendance. Space for media is limited and not guaranteed until confirmed.

MEDIA KIT AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES

• LIVESTREAM: All commencement ceremonies will be broadcast live on Georgetown's YouTube page and on the 2026 Commencement Website. To request usage of the stream for news purposes, email [email protected].
• PHOTOS AND B-ROLL: Photo selects and b-roll of ceremonies, speakers and on-campus "candids" can be made available upon request.

MORE INFORMATION AND LOGISTICS:

We are happy to facilitate camera positions for still and video cameras to capture a variety of content including speeches, b-roll of processions, and campus scenery like historic Healy Hall and the signature Hoya Saxa sign. Please include any specific coverage needs in your credential request.

Please expect transportation delays and extremely limited parking on and around the Hilltop Campus. There is no reserved media parking. Any live broadcast should use Live-U type "backpacks;" no satellite trucks or other news vehicles will be accommodated on campus.

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