Grove City College announced today that William J. Bennett, one of the architects of the Reagan revolution, and renowned theologian Michael Horton will serve as the College’s 2016 Commencement and Baccalaureate speakers.

Bennett will deliver the keynote address at the College’s 136th Commencement exercises at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 14. Horton will address graduates and the College community at the Baccalaureate service at 7 p.m. Friday, May 13. Both events will be held on the College Quad, weather-permitting.

Bennett, one of the nation’s most-noted academics, served as Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan and was appointed as the nation’s first drug czar by President George H.W. Bush. He has proven influential across education, government and the private sector throughout his career. Bennett’s writings, addresses and thousands of media appearances have had an extraordinary influence on America’s political and social legacy.

“Grove City College is honored to have a speaker of Secretary Bennett’s stature address the graduating class and the entire College community,” President Paul J. McNulty ’80 said. “His tireless work in service to the betterment of our country possesses a breadth and depth that has largely and favorably impacted academia, public policy and the free exchange of ideas. His intellectual stamina is legendary.”

In his various roles, Bennett is perceived – even by his adversaries – as a man of strong, reasoned convictions who speaks candidly, eloquently and honestly about the most important issues facing our nation. 

Bennett taught at Boston University, the University of Texas and Harvard and is a best-selling author, having written or co-authored 25 books, including the seminal “The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories,” one of the most popular books of the ’90s. His most recent work is “Tried by Fire,” which covers the rise and vast influence of Christianity across the globe. His three-volume history of the United States, entitled “America: The Last Best Hope,” has been widely praised. He is the former host of the nationally-syndicated radio show “Morning in America” and currently serves as a senior correspondent, producing a daily “Making America Work” series in which he engages some of the country’s most successful business owners and entrepreneurs.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Bennett studied philosophy and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Williams College, a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the University of Texas, and a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard. He is the Washington fellow of the Claremont Institute, a think tank dedicated to educating Americans about the enduring principles of the founding fathers. He is a senior advisor to Project Lead The Way, a leading provider of training and curriculum to improve STEM education in American schools. He is on the advisory board of Viridis Learning, Inc., a company dedicated to helping students identify and pursue specific, and lifelong career pathways and provide them with the educational and certification resources to follow them.

Bennett and his wife Elayne live in North Carolina and are the parents of two sons.

Baccalaureate speaker Michael Horton is the J. Gresham Machen Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, where he taught since 1998. Horton also is host of the White Horse Inn radio broadcast and editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine. He has authored many books, including the notable “The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way” and “Pilgrim Theology: Core Doctrines for Christian Disciples.”

He received degrees from Biola University, Westminster Seminary California, Wycliffe Hall at the University of Oxford and the University of Coventry. He completed a two-year post-doctoral research fellowship at Yale University before joining the faculty at Westminster.

Horton lives in Escondido, Calif., with his wife Lisa and four children.

Both Commencement and Baccalaureate events are free and open to the public. In the case of rain, both will be held in the Arena of the Physical Learning Center on campus and access will be limited to ticketholders.

Visit www.gcc.edu/commencement for more information.