NBC’s Craig Melvin To Address Villanova Class of 2026
Villanova University announced that Craig Melvin, NBC’s TODAY co-anchor, will deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2026 on May 19. Melvin will also receive the degree of Doctor…
Villanova University announced that Craig Melvin, NBC's TODAY co-anchor, will deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2026 on May 19. Melvin will also receive the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, during the commencement ceremony.
According to a Villanova news release, Melvin's journalism career highlights include co-anchoring TODAY, co-hosting the 3rd Hour of TODAY, and hosting Dateline NBC broadcasts. He also hosts the podcast Glass Half Full with Craig Melvin.
An Emmy-winning journalist with 25 years of experience, Melvin is known for his coverage of major events, including six Olympics and six Super Bowls. His political reporting includes interviews with former President Bill Clinton, then-Vice President Joe Biden, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and former Secretaries of State John Kerry, Mike Pompeo, and Condoleezza Rice.
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Beyond broadcasting, Melvin is the author of two books, Pops: Learning to Be a Son and a Father, and the children's book I'm Proud of You. He is a graduate of Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he serves on the board of trustees. He also supports various charities, including the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.
“I think it's important that we depend so much on information these days and receiving information,” said University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, O.S.A., Ph.D., to The Villanovan, the student-run newspaper, when asked why the university selected Melvin. “I think journalists, whether they be print journalists, television journalists, whatever they might be, however we receive the news from them, they have an important vocation, a career in life to bring facts and bring the public information. They do that every day on the TODAY show.
“They capture the essence of world news that happened the day before, at the beginning of that broadcast every day. I think it's important that, as we look at how we go forward as a university, and particularly as we send our graduates off, the importance that each one of them have of telling the truth. We believe so much in truth here. And I think that there's no better example of it than people that share the news with us,” Donohue concluded.
The 183rd Villanova commencement is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, at 2:30 p.m. in Villanova Stadium. In case of inclement weather, the event will be held inside Finneran Pavilion.
