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Former Commencement Speakers, 2009 - 1972
- 2009, Bill Bradley, former U.S. Senator
- 2008 Vernon E. Jordan Jr., former president of the National Urban League
- 2007 Bob Schieffer, CBS News Washington
- 2006 William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton , 42nd President of the United States
- 2005 Don Evans, 34th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce
- 2004 Liz Carpenter, Former Press Secretary for Lady Bird Johnson
- 2003 Gwen Ifill, Moderator and Managing Editor, PBS Washington Week
- 2002 George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States
- 2001 James Carville, political strategist/consultant
- 2000 Judith A. Winston, Under Secretary and General Counsel, U.S. Department of Education; former Director, President Clinton's initiative on race
- 1999 Kenneth S. Apfel, U.S. Commissioner of Social Security; LBJ School Class of 1978
- 1998 Paul Begala, Staff Adviser to President Bill Clinton
- 1996 Ann W. Richards, former Governor of Texas
- 1995 Ellen Malcolm, Founder and President, EMILY's List (resource for pro-choice Democratic women candidates)
- 1994 William Greider, author and journalist
- 1993 Richard D. Lamm, former Governor of Colorado
- 1992 William F. Winter, former Governor of Mississippi
- 1991 Ann W. Richards, Governor of Texas
- 1990 Corrado Pirzio-Biroli, Deputy Head of the European Community Delegation, Washington, D.C.
- 1989 Chase Untermeyer, White House Presidential Personnel Director, Bush Administration
- 1988 Yvonne B. Burke, Director, Los Angeles Branch, Federal Reserve Bank; f
ormer U.S. Congresswoman from California
- 1987 James C. Wright, Jr., Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
- 1986 Gary Hart, U.S. Senator from Colorado
- 1985 Bill Moyers, editor, correspondent, and news analyst, CBS News; former Special Assistant to the President and Press Secretary to President Lyndon Johnson
- 1984 Alexander Heard, Chancellor Emeritus and Professor of Political Science, Vanderbilt University; Chairman of the Board, Ford Foundation
- 1983 Henry Cisneros, Mayor of San Antonio
- 1982 Robert S. Strauss, former Special U.S. Representative for Trade Negotiations; former Chairman, Democratic National Committee
- 1981 Walter E. Mondale, former Vice President of the United States
- 1980 Joseph Califano, Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Carter Administration; former Special Assistant to President Lyndon Johnson
- 1979 Barbara Jordan, former U.S. Congresswoman from Texas; holder of the Lyndon B. Johnson Public Service Professorship, LBJ School
- 1978 James C. Wright, Jr., U.S. Congressman from Texas (Majority Leader)
- 1977 Kenneth E. Boulding, Distinguished Professor of Economics, University of Colorado at Boulder; 1976-77 Distinguished Visiting Tom Slick Professor of World Peace, LBJ School
- 1976 Alice M. Rivlin, Director, Congressional Budget Office
- 1975 Renell Parkins, Professor of Architecture and Planning, UT Austin
- 1974 Richard W. Bolling, U.S. Congressman from Missouri; Chairman of the House Rules Committee
- 1973 J. J. "Jake" Pickle, U.S. Congressman from Texas; member of the House Ways and Means Committee
- 1972 Allen E. Pritchard, Jr., incoming Vice President, National League of Cities
