Commencement History

Past Honorands

View each year’s slate of honorary degree recipients.

Past Commencements

News & Updates

May 25, 2025

Watch the complete ceremony

Join us for our livestream coverage — beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 25 — of the 159th Bates College Commencement as we celebrate…

May 25, 2025

Congratulations!

Watch Bates faculty and staff share their congratulations with the Class of 2025.

May 25, 2025

You can shape your situation before it shapes you, Bates grad…

Bates Commencement speaker Angela Duckworth, author of "Grit," told the seniors to embrace “situation modification” — change your physical environment, especially your phone's proximity, to protect your focus, relationships, and well-being.

News & Updates

June 30, 2026

David Omasombo ’26 & Chiwer Mayen ’26: Standing Tall for…

David Omasombo ’26 and Chiwer Mayen ’26 have shared many basketball courts across their young lifetimes, including historic Alumni Gym, but the first one stands out in their memories for being the worst, in a technical sense. The surface was uneven, the rims inconsistent, and, most of the time, there were no nets.

June 25, 2026

Bates Alumni In the News Spring 2026

Chronicling Bates alumni in the news — from the class of ’77 to ’26 — and a remembering journalist Kim Gamel ’90.

June 25, 2026

Faculty and staff excellence recognized

Many Bates faculty and staff have received grants, awards, and other acknowledgements of their strong teaching and research. Read on for more great Bates news.