Maryland’s longest-serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD 5th) will deliver the keynote address during St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s 2024 Commencement. The commencement ceremony will take place Saturday, May 11 beginning at 10 a.m. on the College’s Townhouse Green.
“I am honored to deliver the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Class of 2024 Commencement Address,” said Congressman Hoyer. “I look forward to celebrating this important occasion with the students, faculty, and families at St. Mary's. I also hope to impart upon the graduates just how crucial their generation will be to ensuring that our democracy and founding principles endure long into the future."
Congressman Hoyer is the most senior member of the House Democratic Caucus, serving the House of Representatives for more than 42 years.In that time, Congressman Hoyer has held various leadership positions, including Democratic Whip and Majority Leader – the second highest ranking member of Democratic House leadership.
Through his committee assignments and leadership positions, Congressman Hoyer has aggressively advocated for his district’s constituents and is a respected voice on national and international issues. Congressman Hoyer now serves as Chair of the Regional Leadership Council – a council created by Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries that is overseeing the implementation of the historic polices that Democrats secured in the 117th Congress. The council is working closely with the Biden-Harris administration to ensure that Americans in every corner of the country can access the opportunities created by the Investing in America agenda.
Congressman Hoyer is no stranger to St. Mary’s College of Maryland where he has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 1995. Prior to serving as a trustee, Congressman Hoyer was the commencement speaker for the class of 1993 and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (D.H.L.) Congressman Hoyer also delivered the commencement address to the class of 2007.
In addition to serving nearly three decades as a St. Mary's College trustee, Congressman Hoyer is a former member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland and the United States Naval Academy Board of Visitors.
