Tucker HS grad, former General Motors CEO Wagoner to give VCU commencement address
Former General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, a graduate of Henrico's J.R. Tucker High School, will give the commencement address at Virginia Commonwealth University's May graduation ceremonies May 9.
VCU will hold the universitywide ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 North Third Street. The university also will host an assortment of in-person graduation ceremonies at the department, school and college levels. VCU has more than 5,100 total graduates this spring representing 41 countries. The university’s approximately 3,300 undergraduates include more than 1,200 first-generation graduates.
Wagoner, 73, is a former member of the VCU Board of Visitors. He graduated from Tucker in 1971, then earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University in 1975 and an MBA from Harvard University in 1977.
He began his career at GM shortly thereafter as an analyst in the treasurer's office, then became treasurer of the company's Brazil subsidiary in 1981 and later served as managing director.
Then he became GM's chief financial officer in 1992, its executive vice president in 1994 and its president and CEO in 1998 – a position he held until his retirement in 2009 as part of the bailout of the auto industry by the Obama administration.
Wagoner and his wife, Kathy, have championed wide-ranging fundraising efforts at VCU. Their work on the steering committee for the Make It Real Campaign for VCU helped the initiative raise nearly $850 million by the time it closed in 2020. Today, they serve in the cabinet for the Unlocking Potential campaign, whose $1.838 billion goal honors the 1838 founding of VCU’s Medical College.
The Wagoners have supported schools and programs across VCU’s Monroe Park and MCV campuses, including creating the Wagoner Family Endowed Scholarship in the School of Business.
The universitywide commencement broadcast will be streamed online at vcu.edu. Doors will open for guests for the universitywide ceremony at 8:30 a.m.; no tickets are required for guests.
