Since 2001, author and poet Maya Angelou, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Vice President Dick Cheney have passed on some of their knowledge and advice to graduating seniors at MSU.
Now the search is on for someone to speak at May's commencement ceremony.
MSU's commencement speakers must be motivational, nationally or internationally known and an exemplary role model, according to university officials, who are taking suggestions for the next commencement speaker.
Angelou spoke at MSU's commencement ceremony in May. She has spoken at university commencement ceremonies around the country five other times since 2001 — making her one of the 25 most popular commencement speakers for the past five years, according to data from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Cheney spoke at only one other university besides MSU, and Rice has given speeches at two other schools in the past five years.
But university officials aren't worried about getting someone with a long track record for speaking at commencements, said Alison Barber, executive assistant to MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon.
"We're more concerned with getting the person who's right for MSU," Barber said. "We like people whose message fits what we're all about."
That message needs to correlate with MSU's mission, as stated in Simon's "Boldness by Design" strategic plan on how to improve the university, Barber said.
Simon decides who will speak at the ceremonies, but takes input from other people, said Betsy White, MSU's academic events coordinator.
"Angelou has been on the list forever," White said. "The president was trying to be responsive to students, faculty, community and staff."
On the commencement Web site, students are invited to send speaker suggestions via e-mail at acadevnt@msu.edu. It usually takes at least six months to choose and make arrangements for a speaker to come.
Members of ASMSU's Academic Assembly submitted their suggestions to Simon near the end of September.
They listed 10 speakers from the media, government, science and business.
ASMSU is MSU's undergraduate student government.
Assembly members recommended British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," Ian Wilmut, who was the first to clone a mammal and retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, among other authors, politicians and scientists.
"It was assembled as kind of a dream team," said Robert Murphy, Academic Assembly chairperson. "All of them have done amazing things in their lives. They're certainly qualified to say, 'Hey, this is what's going on.'"
In the past five years, Stewart has only spoken at his alma mater, the College of William & Mary in Virginia. O'Connor has spoken at two universities' commencements in the past five years. Blair and Wilmut have not spoken at any of the more than 600 colleges listed in The Chronicle.
The most popular speaker is Bill Cosby, who has spoken at 16 colleges since 2001. Tim Russert, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," has made 15 commencement speeches in the past five years.
"I'd like to see somebody with a bigger name," Murphy said. "Would you rather have Bill Cosby as your speaker, or the owner of (a) garage in Lansing? They have to have done something very notable. If you've done that, it lends itself to probably having a big name."
Psychology freshman Jennifer Smallman said she would like to see Stewart speak at her commencement.
"He's funny, but at the same time poignant," Smallman said. "He knows what he's talking about and he's not afraid to say what's on his mind."
Biosystems engineering and philosophy senior Matt Stasiewicz agreed with ASMSU's suggestion of author Kurt Vonnegut.
"It would be cool to have some sort of academic, like an author or scientist, because it's different than the normal political track you normally hear," Stasiewicz said. "Vonnegut would be awesome. He's sarcastic, but he's right (about) how the world works."
