NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt to deliver Villanova University commencement speech

Since 2015, Lester Holt has been the anchor of NBC Nightly News. He’ll be delivering the speech on May 19.

Cory Sharber

April 26, 2023

NBC Nightly News and Dateline anchor Lester Holt poses for photos on the Nightly News set, at NBC headquarters, in New York, Wednesday, July 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Award-winning NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt will address Villanova University’s graduating class during its 180th commencement.

Since 2015, Holt has been the anchor of NBC Nightly News after anchoring the weekend edition of the show for eight years. In 2022, the show won an Edward R. Murrow Award.

He’s also been anchoring Dateline NBC since 2011, and leads the network’s breaking news, special reports, and primetime political coverage. He’s covered the Olympic Games every year since 2002.

During his career, he’s received multiple Emmy Awards, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, and has been featured on TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” list. In 2021, he received the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement award.

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Holt will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Villanova.

The University’s 180th commencement will be held May 19 at 2:30 p.m. at Villanova Stadium. In the event of severe weather, the ceremony will be held indoors in the Finneran Pavilion. The event will be livestreamed.

Last year, Hall of Fame college basketball coach Jay Wright gave the commencement speech.

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