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The Commencement Address

Commencement is an exciting time for everyone involved. This address should reflect the emotions represented. Keep the following suggestions in mind:

  • You are representing your entire class, and you speak for all of its members.
  • Be selective in your choice of materials. From all of your college experiences, choose those that were truly significant for you and your class.
  • Sincerity is important. You must really believe what you are saying.
  • Use specific illustrations and examples. These are what Aristotle called "the lifeblood" of the speech, and help to hold the audience's attention. Building upon what you have learned in classes is appropriate. The audience will be interested in your studies.
  • A little humor, carefully and gently used, helps to ease tensions and is usually welcomed by the audience.
  • The use of appropriate quotations and a bit of good poetry or pertinent prose help to make what you say memorable.
  • Follow a clearly delineated structure:
    • Talk about the past: Praise those who have contributed to the class. Mention significant group experiences, events, speakers, or highlights of your college career. Show the value of belonging to this class.
    • Talk about the future: We have a responsibility to use our education to make this world a better place. Consider what we must do with our education and advantages. Connect your education to your future.
  • A powerful, memorable, meaningful conclusion will set the tone for the day. An apt quotation, short illustration, or appropriate bit of poetry may help make the point.

The Guidelines

The oration must be original work and must be written and delivered by the contestant. Any type of speech is acceptable (informative, inspirational, persuasive) as well as any subject matter as long as it has the depth and dignity which reflect the tone of the commencement. The speech should be 5-7 minutes long and should be memorized, although the manuscript may be taken to the platform.

The finalists will be chosen on the basis of the content of their orations and their style of delivery. The student should bring an extra copy of the manuscript to the selection contest. This is to endure that the oration used at the contest is the same as the one used in the commencement program. Minor corrections and improvements may be made, but the topic, the main ideas and the theme must remain the same.

If you have further questions, please contact Dr. Cheongmi Shim, at 740.376.4546, cs009@marietta.edu.

Past Jewett Prize Winners

Names link to their respective speech when available.

1906 — Walter Carl Kelley 
1907 — George Selden Humphrey, Harry Frank Mautz 
1908 — William Edward Byers, William Ferdinand Bonar 
1909 — No Jewett Prize awarded 
1910 — David Rees Williams 
1911 — Alice May Crone 
1912 — William MacKay 
1913 — No Jewett Prize awarded 
1914 — Harry Alden Blankenship 
1915 — Harold Steen Coil 
1916 — Ralph Newton Ogdin 
1917 — Melvin J. Haire 
1918 — Fred Glenn Jackson 
1919 — William Karl Beaver 
1920 — Edgar William Norris 
1921 — Helen Catherine Beltz 
1922 — Kenneth Reppert Ward 
1923 — Helen Sprague Newton 
1924 — Samuel Newton Dicken 
1925 — Roselyn Henrietta Beltz 
1926 — Arthur Allen Schoolcraft 
1927 — Ida Blanche Hoskin 
1928 — Alsoph Henry Corwin 
1929 — Ronald Claire Stillman 
1930 — Lincoln Gustav Schmidt 
1931 — Homer James Hall 
1932 — Lucy Andalona McKibben 
1933 — Marion Bradford Sloan 
1934 — Virginia Lee Neptune, Brooks Edward Wigginton 
1935 — Ainslie Burke Miner 
1936 — Charles Victor Renner 
1937 — Carl Dean Gramlich 
1938 — Kathryn Kirby Dedman 
1939 — Elinor Imogene Ayers 
1940 — Arthur Bartels Logan 
1941 — Dorothy Irene Hupp 
1942 — Lucy Roberta Holland 
1943 — Ontario Horia Nestor 
1944 — Virginia Mary Meister 
1945 — Gertrude Bigelow Baker 
1946 — Robert Louis Strecker 
1947 — David Robert Rood 
1948 — Harry Robinson Jr. 
1949 — Barbara Ann Beiser 
1950 — Melvin Paul Mohn 
1951 — Edith Elizabeth Bohrer 
1952 — Alice Alta Press 
1953 — John Sylvester Finlayson 
1954 — John Cameron Ahart 
1955 — Robert Francis Goreth 
1956 — Robert George Finney 
1957 — Kenneth Wayne Wall 
1958 — Ruth Eleanor Grogg 
1959 — Carolyn Lee Griffith 
1960 — Nancy Jane Callander 
1961 — Judith Ellen Youmans 
1962 — Victor Dale Powell 
1963 — Judythe Anne Stephan 
1964 — Dorothy Sharon Montgomery 
1965 — John Edward Hopkins 
1966 — Blair Phillips Friederich 
1967 — Charles Bernard Shafer 
1968 — Valerie Ann Voorhees 
1969 — Pamela Sue Ritch 
1970 — David Henry Wendelken 
1971 — David Alan Goldsmith

1972 — 1. Donna Schelling Carson
2. Ellen Jo Emerson
1973 — 1. Ernest James Hartong Jr.
2. George Joseph Cosenza
1974 — 1. Alfred Joseph Bennington Jr.
2. Maryanne Therese Roque
1975 — 1. Mary Beth Rhoads
2. Martin Reid Klingeman
1976 — 1. Nancy L. Dare
2. Kevin J. O'Brien
1977 — 1. Nancy O. Scranton
2. Charlene C. Samples
1978 — 1. Joseph E. Quinn
2. Martha M. Kushner
1979 — 1. Dennis J. Murphy
2. Cynthia A. Klingemier
1980 — 1. William M. Lucas
2. Kimberly A. Ludwig
1981 — 1. Cornelius Hamel
2. Debra R. Kline
1982 — 1. Rick E. Eckstein
2. Duke A. Weller
1983 — Lisa Ann Weekley
 
1984 — 1. Kathyrn L. Ash
2. Edward Kirchdoerffer
1985 — 1. Melanie Ruscitti
 
1986 — 1. Kristina M. Belanger
Tied for 2: Linda S. Holbrook, Charisse L. Linke
1987 — 1. Walter J. Kandel
2. Sheila Norman
1988 — 1. Brent S. Phipps
2. Diane Smith
1989 — * N. Chris Armistad
Karen Bond Coriell
1990 — 1. Michael Royse Moran
2. Katherine Ann Smith
1991 — 1. Susannah Frances Rohrs
2. Richard Anton Nouza
1992 — 1. Millard W. Draudt
2. Tamara S. Jacoby
1993 — 1. Quimby Barrett Williams
2. Linda Jean Branner
1994 — 1. Linda Lou Boron
2. Nora Jane Cox
1995 — 1. Anna Lynn Custer
2. Jennifer Rebecca Pesci
1996 — 1. Heather D. Hall
 
1997 — 1. Jason Constantino
2. Holly Denise Bowen
1998 — 1. Johnny Cruz
2. Martha Jamieson Alarie
1999 — 1. Heather V. Taylor
2. Danielle Boettcher
2000 — 1. Devin Cogswell
2. Benjamin Allen
2001 — 1. Caroline Guhde
2. Anthony Higgins
2002 — 1. Jennifer Band
2. Matt Majzun
2003 — 1. Kristin Pottmeyer
2. Kasey Drennen
2004 — 1. Elizabeth Schultz
2. Patricia Bailey
2005 — 1. Carrie Lang
2. Melissa Yusko
2006 — 1. Harry Antonio
2. Megan Schreck
2007 — 1. Dan May
2. Craig D. Sundstrom
2008 — 1. Rosa Hanks
2. Nicholas Aylward
2009 — 1. Jakob Loukas
2. Heather Boomer
2010 — 1. Katy Black
2. Michael Cress
2017 — 1. Amy Castle
2. Naser Haneef