Former NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr. to deliver spring commencement address at Ohio State

Former NASA administrator, astronaut and U.S. Marine Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden Jr. (ret.) will deliver The Ohio State University’s spring commencement address.

The ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 4, at noon in Ohio Stadium. Approximately 12,000 diplomas will be issued. 

Appointed NASA’s 12th administrator, Bolden served the space agency from 2009 to 2017. As administrator, Bolden led a nationwide NASA team to advance the missions and goals of the U.S. space program.

“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 President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “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 safe transition from 30 years of space shuttle missions to an era of exploration using the International Space Station and innovative space and aeronautics technology development. He led the agency in the transition to the use of commercial vehicles for the transport of U.S. cargo and crews to low Earth orbit and boosted NASA’s leadership in aeronautics with a new strategic plan leading to the design and development of new experimental airplanes that will make flight faster, quieter, cleaner and safer.

“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 leading NASA, Bolden served for 34 years in the Marine Corps – including 14 years as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Office. After joining the office in 1980, he traveled to orbit four times aboard the space shuttle between 1986 and 1994, commanding two of the missions and piloting two others. His flights included the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope and the first joint U.S.-Russian shuttle mission, which featured a cosmonaut as a member of his crew.

After his final shuttle flight in 1994, he returned to active duty with the Marine Corps and served as the deputy commandant of midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy. His service also included leading the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Forward in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait, serving as deputy commander of U.S. Forces in Japan, and commanding the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing prior to his retirement from the Marine Corps in January 2003.

Bolden’s many military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2017.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical science in 1968 from the Naval Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Bolden earned a Master of Science degree in systems management from the University of Southern California.

In 2017, Ohio State awarded Bolden an honorary doctorate to recognize his innovative impacts on global sustainability and advancing the mission and goals of the NASA program.

Public health researcher, surgeon and writer Atul Gawande will receive an honorary Doctor of Science at spring commencement. Elizabeth B. and Richard B. Germain and William B. Farrar will be honored with the university’s Distinguished Service Award.