Commencement Speaker

Antonio R. Villaraigosa

USC is honored to welcome Antonio Villaraigosa, the 41st mayor of Los Angeles, as this year's commencement speaker. An engaging leader and inspiring public servant, he is a native Angeleno who was raised by a single mother and began working as a volunteer in the farm workers movement when he was 15 years old. He took office in July 2005 on a mayoral platform that emphasized addressing the city's challenges in education, transportation, public safety, and economic development. His political career includes serving in the California State Assembly, where he was assembly speaker, and on the Los Angeles City Council.

A graduate of the People's College of Law, he earned his bachelor's degree in history from UCLA. He has been a distinguished visiting fellow at USC's Southern California Studies Center, and he often speaks about leadership to undergraduate classes at USC.

View all 2006 Honorary Degree Recipients