Philanthropist and businesswoman Melinda French Gates will speak at Stanford’s 133rd Commencement ceremony, which will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 16.
French Gates is the current co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and founder of Pivotal Ventures, a company targeting social progress through support such as high-impact investments. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 and was also recognized by Forbes’s annual list of 100 Most Powerful Women last year.
French Gates also delivered the address at Stanford’s 2014 Commencement with her former husband, Bill Gates.
French Gates’s interest in technology began when her father, Raymond French M.S. ’62, bought her an Apple II personal computer. She also credits her high school math teacher Phyllis Bauer for helping to instill her passion for computer science. She went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science and economics and a master’s in business administration from Duke University. After graduating, she pursued a career at Microsoft, where she worked to develop popular multimedia products like Word and Expedia. She eventually left Microsoft to raise her three children, including Jennifer Gates ’18 and Phoebe Gates ’24.
“I really respect her for her humanitarian work and because she made it possible for me to go to Stanford, so I’m excited to hear from her in person,” said Alanna Dorsey ’24, a Gates Scholar.
Isa Terrazas ’24 also said that she looks forward to French Gates’ speech. “As a woman in engineering, I’ve always admired her for breaking barriers and opening doors for women in tech. It feels like a fitting choice to have someone so influential address us as we transition into the next chapter,” said Terrazas.
Some anonymous posts on social media app Fizz criticized French Gates’ selection given she already spoke a decade ago, writing “Why can’t they get someone new?”
University spokesperson Luisa Rapport wrote in an email to The Daily that the senior class presidents and the President’s Office collaborate to select commencement speakers. According to her, French Gates “has complete autonomy over the content of her address.”
In a statement made to the Stanford Report, Stanford President Richard Saller said French Gates “is a champion for women and girls, and she has shown how empowering them can transform families, communities, and institutions.” He added that “Melinda’s unique insights will encourage our graduates to center human values as they leave Stanford to forge their own paths.”
French Gates is not the first tech figure to speak at a Commencement ceremony. Apple CEO Tim Cook gave a speech in 2019. Tennis legend and Stanford dropout John McEnroe delivered the address last year.
The Daily has reached out to the senior class presidents for comment.