David Brooks – 2024
David Brooks is a columnist for The New York Times and a contributor to The Atlantic. He is a commentator on “The PBS Newshour."
His forthcoming book “How To Know A Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” will be published in October. His previous three books were “The Second Mountain,” “The Road to Character,” and “The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement,” all #1 New York Times bestsellers.
Previous Nichols-Chancellor's Medal Winners
Maria Ressa – 2023
Nobel Prize Winner 2021, CEO of Rappler, Author
Maria A. Ressa is an internationally acclaimed journalist who has endured political threats and government arrests for her commitment to truth and democracy.
Reid Hoffman - 2022
Co-Founder of LinkedIn
Partner at Greylock
An accomplished entrepreneur, executive, and investor, Reid Hoffman has played an integral role in building many of today’s leading consumer technology businesses, including LinkedIn and PayPal.
Dr. Anthony Fauci - 2021
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top leader in infectious disease research and an internationally renowned biomedical scientist.
Caroline Kennedy - 2020
Best-selling author, attorney and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has dedicated her life to public and philanthropic service. Kennedy was the first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to Japan when she was nominated by President Barack Obama in 2013. During her tenure, she helped realize the U.S. military’s return of nearly 10,000 acres on Okinawa to the Japanese government and played a pivotal role in President Obama’s historic visit to Hiroshima. She was also an advocate for Japanese women in business and politics.
Venus Williams - 2019
With 7 Grand Slam titles, 5 Wimbledon championships and 4 Olympic gold medals, tennis legend Venus Williams is arguably one of the most accomplished and inspiring women in the history of sports.
Beginning her rise to the top at the age of 14, Williams quickly took the world of tennis by storm rising to the top-ranked position, breaking countless records, and winning numerous championships.
Amal Clooney - 2018
Amal Clooney is a British human rights lawyer practicing at Doughty Street Chambers in London, where she specializes in international law and human rights. She is also a Visiting Professor at Columbia Law School, where she teaches Human Rights. Her clients have ranged from political prisoners and ousted Heads of State to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and the Republic of Armenia. She has appeared before the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the European Court of Human Rights and various courts in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Kens Burns - 2017
Ken Burns has been making films for almost forty years. Since the Academy Award nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1981,Burns has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made. A December 2002 poll conducted by Real Screen Magazine listed The Civil War as second only to Robert Flaherty’s Nanook of theNorth as the “most influential documentary of all time,” and named Ken Burns and Robert Flaherty as the “most influential documentary makers” of all time.
Soledad O’Brien – 2016
Leading media journalist, Soledad O’Brien has established herself as one of the most recognized names in broadcasting, bringing wider exposure to some of the most important issues and stories in the world through her coverage of breaking news, critically-acclaimed documentaries and empowering initiatives. Her critically acclaimed documentary series, Black in America and Latino in America are among CNN’s most successful domestic and international franchises.
Walter Isaacson – 2015
Graduates should be humble, curious, and creatively open to collaboration, according to Walter Isaacson. The key to success in the 21st century, the same as it had been in the 20th century, will be combining love and facility for the sciences and the arts.
Dr. Regina Benjamin – 2014
“Your presence matters,” MacArthur “genius” and former U.S. surgeon general Regina M. Benjamin told graduating Vanderbilt University seniors on Senior Class Day, the day before Commencement will transform them into alumni.
Just by being there and making sure you’re doing well and being good at what you do, your presence matters. You never know who’s watching you,” Benjamin said.
Toni Morrison – 2013
Novelist Morrison tells grads to embrace interconnectedness.
The bloody and warlike history of the world is all the more reason to be caring citizens going forward, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison advised graduates during Senior Day festivities at Vanderbilt University.
Tom Brokaw – 2012
Journalist and author Tom Brokaw advised graduating seniors at Vanderbilt University to be mindful that everyone’s fate is more intertwined than ever in an age marked by technological advancement and class division.
Wangari Maathai – 2011
A Vanderbilt University graduate is a “potential great change agent,” Nobel Peace Prize-winner Wangari Maathai told seniors the day before their Commencement ceremony.
Khaled Hosseini – 2010
Novelist Khaled Hosseini wished Vanderbilt graduates “prosperity” in their post-college lives, but suggested they stay connected to suffering in the world by tithing 5 percent of their time or money to those less fortunate.
Doris Kerns Goodwin — 2009
Historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin received Vanderbilt University’s prestigious Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal on May 6, 2009, when she addressed graduating seniors and their families during Senior Day.
Bob Geldof — 2008
Graduating seniors should become “the new American revolutionaries” aiming for the stars even if they find themselves sometimes lying in the gutter, said musician and social activist Bob Geldof.
Muhammad Yunus — 2007
Muhammad Yunus, Vanderbilt alumnus and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, was awarded the Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal and $100,000 prize May 10, 2007. Yunus developed the concept of microcredit and founded the Grameen Bank, which has improved the lives of millions in his native Bangladesh through small loans to fund enterprises and buy livestock.
First Lady Laura Bush — 2006
First Lady Laura Bush was the winner of the Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal its inaugural year. Mrs. Bush accepted the award on behalf of disaster relief workers around the world who, at great peril to their personal safety, provided assistance to victims of natural disasters. Mrs. Bush donated the $100,000 cash prize to Vanderbilt to create the Nichols Humanitarian Fund, which provides travel and living expenses for students and faculty who volunteer for disaster relief assignments around the world.
Shirin Ebadi — 2005
Shirin Ebadi, 2003 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, was Vanderbilt’s second Senior Day Speaker. Her poignant remarks regarding Democracy and peace were heard by the 2005 graduates and their guests.
Condoleezza Rice — 2004
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was the guest speaker at Vanderbilt University’s inaugural Senior Day on Thursday, May 13, 2004.