University of Wisconsin marks record-setting commencement

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The University of Wisconsin-Madison celebrated its largest ever graduation class Saturday at the Spring Commencement ceremony, which was held at the Camp Randall Stadium.

In total, the university confirmed 7,826 degrees. 6,225 students earned Bachelor’s degrees, over 1,300 earned Master’s degrees and 224 earned law degrees.

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. delivered the keynote address at the ceremony. Holder was named by the Time Magazine in 2014 as one of their 100 Most Influential People.

“The Senior Class Office was drawn to Attorney General Holder’s leadership and legacy,” says Liam McLean, senior class president. “Attorney General Holder is a trailblazer whose drive for excellence and humanity as a public servant aligns perfectly with our values as a university to shape a better world than the one we found.”

In his speech, Holder hinted toward recent campus events, namely a racist video that emerged from a UW student, and quoted Martin Luther King Jr., encouraging students to keep moving toward justice, the university said.

The ceremony also included remarks from Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin, a representative of the UW System Board of Regents and Liam McLean. Two students from the Blk Pwr Coalition, Sydney Bobb and Faith Ocoko, also spoke about the experiences of Black students on campus.

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