Famous commencement speeches Famous commencement speeches The world of academia is abuzz over one university's decision to pay a big fee for a reality TV celebrity over a renowned author to headline their 2011 graduation. Celebrity commencement speeches have become commonplace. The fad can be traced to the infamous "sunscreen speech." Check out the most interesting commencements in academic history. Toni Morrison At a 2004 liberal arts graduation, the prolific writer said: "You are your own stories and therefore free to imagine and experience what it means to be human without wealth. What it feels like to be human without domination over others, without reckless arrogance, without fear of others unlike you, without rotating, rehearsing and reinventing the hatreds you learned in the sandbox." Steve Jobs Apple chief Jobs offered no-nonsense advice to the 2005 Stanford grads. His health issues may have added weight to his speech. "Your...