Graduation
From USAFA Folklore
Graduation takes place in Falcon Stadium. However, before Falcon Stadium was completed, graduations were held in the Parade Ground. The graduation speaker is usually the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force, or the Air Force Chief of Staff. Cadets wear parade dress with white gloves.
Cadets originally graduated in Graduation Order of Merit, but in 1979?, the order was changed to prevent the competition among cadets to become Tail End Charlie. The distinguished graduates now graduate first, then cadets graduate alphabetically within their squadrons.
After the speech and handing out of diplomas, cadets take their formal commissioning oath. Graduation is completed by the command, "Ladies and Gentlemen, you are dismissed," followed by a low flyover of the Thunderbirds, and the cadets throwing their white parade hats in the air.
[edit] Hat toss
The hat toss signifies the shedding of the cadet uniform for the uniform of an officer. Normally, the thrown parade hats are not retrieved by the new officers. Instead, children ages 7-12(?) are allowed on the field after the hat toss to collect the parade hats (officially limited to one each, but the enforcement is sporadic). Graduating cadets have been known to put money, pictures, and first assignment information in their hats for the lucky finders.
[edit] Graduation speakers
The keynote speaker at the Academy's graduation is nearly always a senior government official or Defense Department officer. Typical speakers have included the Air Force Chief of Staff (7 times), Secretary of the Air Force (14 times), Secretary of Defense (9 times), Vice President (9 times) and the President (8 times). Harold Brown and George H.W. Bush have each spoken at graduation three times. Bill Clinton, Barry Goldwater, Edward Aldridge, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush have each spoken twice.
With the exception of Eisenhower and Carter, every U.S. President in the span of the history of the Academy has been a keynote speaker at a USAFA graduation ceremony, although Johnson and Ford both spoke while they were still Vice President. Somewhat ironically, the two exceptions were service academy graduates themselves. Two graduates, Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, Class of 1963, and Gen. Michael E. Ryan, Class of 1965, have served as graduation speaker.
| Class | Graduation speaker | Office (at time of speaking) |
|---|---|---|
| Class of 1959 | Gen. Thomas D. White | USAF Chief of Staff |
| Class of 1960 | Dudley E. Sharp | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1961 | Eugene Zuckert | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1962 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 1963 | John F. Kennedy | President of the United States |
| Class of 1964 | Gen. Curtis E. LeMay | USAF Chief of Staff |
| Class of 1965 | Gen. John P. McConnell | USAF Chief of Staff |
| Class of 1966 | Harold Brown | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1967 | Norman S. Paul | Undersecretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1968 | Harold Brown | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1969 | Richard M. Nixon | President of the United States |
| Class of 1970 | Melvin R. Laird | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 1971 | Spiro T. Agnew | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 1972 | Robert C. Seamans Jr. | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1973 | Barry M. Goldwater | United States Senator |
| Class of 1974 | Gerald R. Ford | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 1975 | James R. Schlesinger | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 1976 | Nelson A. Rockefeller | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 1977 | Harold Brown | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 1978 | John Stetson | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1979 | Gen. Lew Allen Jr. | USAF Chief of Staff |
| Class of 1980 | Hans Mark | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1981 | Casper W. Weinberger | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 1982 | George H.W. Bush | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 1983 | Barry M. Goldwater | United States Senator |
| Class of 1984 | Ronald Reagan | President of the United States |
| Class of 1985 | Verne Orr | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1986 | George H.W. Bush | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 1987 | Edward C. Aldridge Jr. | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1988 | Edward C. Aldridge Jr. | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1989 | Donald B. Rice | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1990 | Gen. Larry D. Welch | USAF Chief of Staff |
| Class of 1991 | George H.W. Bush | President of the United States |
| Class of 1992 | Dan Quayle | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 1993 | Les Aspin | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 1994 | Sheila E. Widnall | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 1995 | William J. Clinton | President of the United States |
| Class of 1996 | Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, Class of 1963 | USAF Chief of Staff |
| Class of 1997 | William S. Cohen | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 1998 | Gen. Michael E. Ryan, Class of 1965 | USAF Chief of Staff |
| Class of 1999 | William J. Clinton | President of the United States |
| Class of 2000 | F. Whitten Peters | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 2001 | Richard B. Cheney | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 2002 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 2003 | James G. Roche | Secretary of the Air Force |
| Class of 2004 | George W. Bush | President of the United States |
| Class of 2005 | Richard B. Cheney | Vice President of the United States |
| Class of 2006 | Donald H. Rumsfeld | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 2007 | Robert Gates | Secretary of Defense |
| Class of 2008 | George W. Bush | President of the United States |
