Former NASA leader and astronaut Charles Bolden Jr. named Ohio State’s spring commencement speaker

Charles F. Bolden Jr. will deliver Ohio State University’s spring commencement address May 4 at Ohio Stadium. Credit: Bill Ingalls via TNS [Original caption: Charles Bolden, nominee for administrator of NASA, testifies at his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, July 8, 2009.]

Bolden — who served for 34 years in the Marine Corps, during which he traveled to space four times — was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2009 to serve as NASA’s 12th administrator, according to a Monday Ohio State News article. This role, which is the highest-ranking position within the agency, involves working with Congress and other elected officials to make decisions about space-related programs and policies, according to a December 2024 Government Executive article. 

“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 in the Ohio State News article. “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.” 

Bolden has previously been involved with Ohio State, delivering guest lectures at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and speaking at a 2016 Mershon Auditorium ceremony honoring fellow astronaut John Glenn’s life. Bolden also received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2017 to recognize his positive impacts on global sustainability and the NASA program at large.

“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,” university President Ted Carter Jr. said in the Ohio State News article. “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.”

Across his nine years at NASA’s helm, Bolden — also the first Black man to have occupied the administrator position — led the transition from the agency’s former Space Shuttle system to “a new era of exploration,” which centered around the International Space Station and aeronautics technology development, according to NASA’s webpage.

Prior to his NASA administrator appointment, the Ohio State News article states Bolden’s 34 years in the Marine Corps included 14 years as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Office, during which his four missions to orbit involved feats such as the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope and the first United States-Russia joint shuttle mission.

Following his final flight in 1994, Bolden returned to active duty within the Marine Corps until his retirement in January 2003. 

Across his more than three decades of service, Bolden flew over 100 combat missions during the Vietnam War, served as commanding general of the Marine Expeditionary Force involved with Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait, acted as commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and more.

According to NASA’s webpage, Bolden’s many accolades include the Defense Superior Service Medal, three NASA Exceptional Service medals and honorary doctorate degrees from multiple higher education institutions. He was also inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2017.

Bolden received a Bachelor of Science in electrical science from the Naval Academy in 1968, after earning a Master of Science in systems management from the University of Southern California in 1977.

Bolden will speak in Ohio Stadium May 4, with the commencement ceremony set to begin at noon.