Governor Larry Hogan to Address Washington College Class of 2026 at Commencement

The former Maryland Governor visited the liberal arts campus to discuss civic engagement and future partnerships around higher education.

Washington College is honored to announce former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan as the speaker for its 243rd Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The announcement follows Hogan’s comprehensive visit to the Chestertown campus last Tuesday, November 25, 2025, a day that highlighted the College's priorities in education, leadership, and public service. 

“Governor Hogan's record of leadership, his deep connection to Maryland, and his enduring admiration for President George Washington make him an ideal voice to inspire our graduates as they step into the future,” said Washington College Interim President Bryan Matthews ’75. “Washington College’s core mission has always been to ‘educate citizens for the vital task of democracy.’ We are thrilled to host a leader who has demonstrated such a strong commitment to service and citizenship”. 

Governor Hogan spent the afternoon engaging with faculty and staff across key academic centers, beginning with a visit to the Innovation Plant and the site of the future Warehime School of Business. The tour focused on the College’s efforts to foster entrepreneurship and support regional economic development. He also toured the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and the Center for Environment and Society. President Matthews, the Chair of the Board of Visitors and Governors, Kent County Commissioners, and the incoming Chestertown Mayor, Meghan Efland, were also in attendance.  

Hogan said it was a privilege to be Washington College’s 2026 commencement speaker. 

“Graduations offer us an opportunity to both celebrate how far we've come and look forward to even greater things ahead. I'm deeply humbled to join the ranks of prior speakers and am grateful for the opportunity, especially as it comes while our nation celebrates 250 years of independence. I look forward to celebrating the graduates, their hard work, and the bright future they’re ready to step into,” he said. 

Governor Hogan has a significant history of engagement with Washington College, particularly in supporting its mission of civic responsibility. During his tenure as governor, he announced $1 million in state funding for Washington College to establish the Miller Director of Civic Engagement within the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. This endowed directorship honors the historic legacy of former Maryland Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, Jr. The director oversees programs that utilize history to address contemporary challenges and instill in Washington College students a sense of civic responsibility toward their community, state, and nation.  

In recognition of his distinguished career in public service, Governor Hogan will also be bestowed with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the ceremony for the Class of 2026. 

Washington College is the nation’s 10th oldest institution of higher education and the first liberal arts college. Governor Hogan joins a distinguished list of U.S. Presidents and elected leaders who have addressed the graduating class, including Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and George H.W. Bush, and former Maryland Senator Ben Cardin in 2023. 

- Dominique Ellis Falcon