Harris 1st woman to deliver West Point commencement speech

Kamala Harris will be the first woman to deliver a commencement speech at the West Point graduation ceremony, White House officials said

Vice President Kamala Harris will be the first woman to deliver a commencement speech at a West Point graduation ceremony, White House officials said.

Harris will deliver the keynote address on May 27 at the U.S. Military Academy for the Class of 2023.

“We are honored to have the Vice President as our commencement speaker,” Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland, the U.S. Military Academy’s 61st superintendent said in a statement. “As an accomplished leader who has achieved significant milestones throughout her career, we look forward to her inspiring remarks to our cadets.”

Historically, vice presidents have addressed the graduating class at one of the federal service academies on a rotating basis. This will be Harris' first visit to West Point.

In 2022, she delivered the keynote address during the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's commencement exercises in Connecticut. In 2021, she delivered a commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland.

President Joe Biden will deliver the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy and Howard University this year.