1864 – Henry Giles, Esq.
1866 – Governor Bullock
1867 – Governor Bullock
1868 – Governor Bullock
1876 – Governor Rice
1880 – Governor Long
1881 – Governor Long
1883 – Governor Butler
1884 – Governor Robinson
1885 – Governor Robinson
1886 – Governor Robinson
1887 – Governor Oliver Ames
1888 – Rev. John J. Keane (Gov. Robinson was scheduled but couldn’t attend due to illness)
1889 – (Gov. Robinson was scheduled but couldn’t attend due to illness)
1890 – Governor Brackett
1891 – Governor Russell
1894 – Rev. John J. Power (Gov. Frederick T. Greenhalge was scheduled but couldn’t attend)
1895 – Governor Frederick T. Greenhalge
1896 – Governor Roger Wolcott
1897 – Governor Roger Wolcott
1898 – Rev. Bishop Beaven (Gov. Wolcott was scheduled but could not attend)
1899 – Governor Roger Wolcott
1900 – Governor Roger Wolcott
1901 – Rev. Bishop Beaven (Gov. Crane was scheduled but could not attend)
1902 – Rev. Bishop Beaven
1903 – Rev. Bishop Beaven
1904 – Rev. Bishop Beaven
1905 – President Theodore Roosevelt
1906 – Governor Curtis Guild
1907 – Governor Curtis Guild
1908 – Governor Curtis Guild
1909 – Governor Eben S. Draper
1910 – Governor Eben S. Draper
1911 – Eugene N. Foss
1912 – Eugene N. Foss (scheduled but never attended)
1913 – Governor David I. Walsh
1914 – Governor David I. Walsh
1915 – Governor David I. Walsh
1916 – Governor Samuel W. McCall
1917 – Governor Samuel W. McCall
1918 – Governor Samuel W. McCall
1919 – Governor Calvin Coolidge
1920 – Governor Calvin Coolidge
1921 – Governor Channing H. Cox
1922 – Governor Channing H. Cox
1923 – Governor Channing H. Cox
1924 – Governor Channing H. Cox
1925 – Governor Alvan T. Fuller
1926 – Governor Alvan T. Fuller
1927 – Governor Alvan T. Fuller
1928 – Governor Alvan T. Fuller
1929 – Governor Frank G. Allen
1930 – Governor Frank G. Allen
1931 – Governor Joseph B. Ely
1932 – Governor Joseph B. Ely
1933 – Governor Joseph B. Ely
1934 – Governor Joseph B. Ely
1935 – Governor James M. Curley
1936 – Governor James M. Curley
1937 – Governor Charles F. Hurley
1938 – Governor Charles F. Hurley
1939 – Governor Leverett H. Saltonstall
1940 – Governor Leverett H. Saltonstall
1941 – Governor Leverett H. Saltonstall
1942 – Governor Leverett H. Saltonstall
1943 – Governor Leverett H. Saltonstall
1944 – Senator David I. Walsh, LL.D., February 27th
1944 – J. Edgar Hoover, June 29th
1948 – Governor Robert F. Bradford
1945 – Governor Maurice J. Tobin
1946 – Governor Maurice J. Tobin
1947 – Governor Robert F. Branford
1948 – Governor Robert F. Branford
1949 – Governor Paul A. Dever
1950 – Governor Paul A. Dever
1951 – Governor Paul A. Dever
1952 – Governor Paul A. Dever
1953 – Governor Christian A. Herter
1954 – Governor Christian A. Herter
1955 – Governor Christian A. Herter
1956 – Governor Christian A. Herter
1957 – Governor Foster Furcolo
1958 – Governor Foster Furcolo
1959 – Governor Foster Furcolo
1961 – Governor John A. Volpe
1962 – Governor John A. Volpe
1963 – Governor Endicott Peabody
1964 – President Lyndon B. Johnson
1965 – Governor John A. Volpe
1966 – Governor John A. Volpe
1967 – Governor John A. Volpe
1968 – Governor John A. Volpe
1969 – Governor Francis W. Sargent
1970 – Rev. Raymond J. Swords
1971 – Michael Harrington
1972 – Bill Moyers
1973 – Rev. Daniel Berrigan, SJ
1974 – Art Buchwald
1975 – Dr. Mabel Lang
1976 – Jimmy Breslin
1977 – Senator Edward M. Kennedy
1978 – Vernon E. Jordan, Jr.
1979 – Eunice Kennedy Shriver
1980 – George F. Will
1981 – Helen Hayes
1982 – Garry Wills
1983 – Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago
1984 – Governor Mario M. Cuomo
1985 – Paul H. Nitze
1986 – Peter V. Ueberroth
1987 – Senator Bill Bradley
1988 – Art Buchwald
1989 – Bryant Gumbel
1990 – Rev. Timothy S. Healy, S.J.
1991 – Kenneth L. Woodward
1992 – Senator John C. Danforth
1993 – Vivian W. Pinn, M.D.
1994 – Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez
1995 – Cathy E. Minehan
1996 – Brian P. Lamb
1997 – Martin C.M. Lee
1998 – Maria Shriver
1999 – John F. Smith, Jr.
2000 – G. Timothy Johnson, M.D.
2001 – William J. McDonough
2002 – Billy Collins
2003 – Christopher Matthews
2004 – Shirley Ann Jackson
2005 – Timothy Russert
2006 – Robert C. Wright
2007 – John G. Roberts, Jr.
2008 – Kevin M. Cahill, M.D.
2009 – Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.
2010 – Mark Shriver
2011 – Marilynne Robinson
2012 – Dr. Paul Edward Farmer
2013 – Anne Fadiman
2014 – Jon Favreau
2015 – Bryan Stevenson
2016 – Harry K. Thomas, Jr.
2017 – James J. O’Connell, M.D.
2018 – Michele Norris