COLUMBUS, Ohio — Spring graduates at The Ohio State University will hear from a man who has seen the stars up close and personal this May at their commencement.
U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden Jr., a former NASA administrator and astronaut, will deliver the commencement address on Sunday, May 4 at noon in Ohio Stadium. There are approximately 12,000 diplomas that will be issued during the ceremony.
Bolden was NASA's 12th administrator and served the agency from 2009 to 2017. During his time, he lead a team that stretched across the nation to advance the mission and goals of NASA.
“It’s an honor and privilege for Ohio State to have the opportunity to welcome Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden to our campus to share his lessons on life and leadership with our spring graduates,” said Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. in a news release “Maj. Gen. Bolden is an exceptional leader who has dedicated his life to serving our country. In every role throughout his distinguished career, he has elevated the United States’ safety, security and prosperity. He perfectly embodies the Buckeye mission to serve a purpose greater than ourselves. This will be a special day for our graduates, their loved ones and the entire Ohio State community.”
Bolden oversaw the transition from 30 years of space shuttle missions to an exploration era using the International Space Station. He helped lead the agency in the transition to the use of commercial vehicles for transports U.S. cargo and crews to low orbit and lifted NASA's leadership in aeronautics.
“It is quite an honor and privilege to be invited by a dear friend and fellow Naval aviator, President Ted Carter, to deliver the commencement address to The Ohio State University Class of 2025,” Bolden said. “I am excited to return to campus, where I have enjoyed my affiliation with the John Glenn College of Public Affairs for many years, and to join the graduates and their families in celebrating the completion of their studies at this prestigious institution.”
Before becoming NASA's administrator, Bolden served for 34 years in the Marine Corps, with 14 of them as a member of NASA's Astronaut Office, which he joined in 1980. He traveled to orbit four times abroad the space shuttle between 1986 and 1994. He commanded two of the missions and piloting two others.
Bolden's flights included the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope and the first joint U.S.-Russia shuttle mission. Following his final shuttle mission, he returned to active duty and served as the deputy commandant of midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy.
He also lead the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Forward in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait. Bolden received the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2017.
Bolden earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical science in 1968 from the Naval Academy and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He also earned a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California.
Ohio State awarded Bolden an honorary doctorate in 2017 for his innovative impacts on global sustainability and advancing the NASA program.
