Leamy Hall News

President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver the keynote address during the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s 134th Commencement Exercises on Wednesday, May 20. Presidents traditionally address the graduating class at one of the federal service academies on a rotating basis. President Obama addressed the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2014 at West Point last year. "It is a tremendous honor for us to host the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States at our Academy to present commissions to the graduating class,” said Coast Guard Academy Superintendent Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's 133rd Commencement Exercises May 21, 2014. Secretary Johnson is the fourth Secretary of Homeland Security and assumed his office Dec. 23, 2013. The commencement is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Cadet Memorial Field. "Each commencement is a momentous event, but this one will be particularly special since Secretary Johnson will visit us for the first time to present commissions to our newest ensigns," said Academy Superintendent Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz.

The Honorable Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, is scheduled to speak at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy March 18, as the 2014 Hedrick Fellow. Justice Scalia will address the corps of cadets in Leamy Hall Auditorium at 7:30 p.m., in an event that is open to the public. Justice Scalia was nominated by President Ronald Reagan and is currently the longest-serving justice on the Supreme Court. He took his seat on the Court, Sept. 26, 1986. The purpose of the Hedrick Fellow program is to bring world-renowned political, military, and industry leaders to the Academy to share their knowledge and insight with cadets and faculty, and provide an opportunity for the Coast Guard’s future leaders to learn from the experiences of America's most distinguished leaders.

At the United States Coast Guard Academy, hundreds of cadets funneled from the bitter January cold into Leamy Hall to hear a personal address from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp, and this year to hear a different sort of speech. “This year, I don’t have a formal speech prepared for you,” said Adm. Papp. “I thought tonight, rather than talking about lofty ideas and theoretical leadership, I’d talk about some practical matters to consider. Adm. Papp proceeded to take the cadets on a virtual journey through his career…