Addresses
At early commencement ceremonies, addresses were delivered by members of the graduating class in Arabic, English, and French, and on later occasions in Turkish. Alumni were also invited to speak to the graduates, while notably no formal address was delivered by the College administration.
As time passed, this practice evolved with the introduction of the President’s baccalaureate address, delivered on Sunday of Commencement Week, marking a significant addition to the official program.
Commencement speakers included distinguished alumni such as Dr. Iskandar Barudi, Yusuf Aftimus, Murad Barudi, Dr. Yusuf Hajjar, Ibrahim Khairallah, Ya‘qub Sarruf, Dr. Najib al-Salibi, Tawfiq Kurban, Nami Jafet, and Naoum Moughabghab, alongside members of the faculty and administration, including Howard Bliss, Harvey Porter, George Post, Boulos Khauli, Edwin Lewis, John Wortabet, and Edward Nickoley, etc.
The addresses reflected a broad intellectual scope, engaging with subjects such as medicine, sociology, anthropology, agriculture, war, and history, thereby underscoring the institution’s commitment to both scientific inquiry and broader cultural and social discourse.