Through Candid Edwards
November 29, 2025
Robinson graduated from the Ivy League institution in 1983.
Princeton University announced the selection of alumnus Craig Robinson, brother of former First Lady Michelle Obama, to deliver the baccalaureate address to the Class of 2026.
The baccalaureate ceremony will take place in the University Chapel on May 24, 2026, marking a return to campus for the veteran director who graduated from the institution in 1983.
“I was so honored and surprised,” Robinson told The Daily Princetonian, immediately clearing his calendar to accept the invitation.
Class of 2026 President Minna Abdella said fellow seniors are “grateful for the opportunity to learn” from Robinson.
“We are inspired by his example of character. Throughout his career as a celebrated athlete, accomplished coach and distinguished leader in both higher education and the private sector, he has embodied Princeton’s informal motto: ‘In Service to the Nation and in Service to Humanity,'” Abdella said. “His dedication to mentorship and empowering others represents the very best of what we hope to take with us beyond our time at Princeton.”
Robinson studied sociology, the athlete and intellectual wrote his dissertation on “The Nature of Informal Social Structures” within a prison. Additionally, he was an athletic standout on the men’s basketball team, leading the team to three Ivy League titles.
His younger sister, Michelle Obama ’85, followed him to campus after graduating, he continued the family’s connection to the Ivy League institution. Robinson said attending Princeton “absolutely changed my life.”
After graduating, Robinson played professional basketball in the United Kingdom. He then returned to the United States and began coaching at the Illinois Institute of Technology before shifting his focus entirely to finance and earning an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He also served on Princeton’s Board of Trustees from 2018 to 2022.
In addition to his professional roles, Robinson played a visible role as a surrogate during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. As he prepares for the Class of 2026, he remains focused on providing valuable and relatable advice.
“I hope I don’t sound like one of these old men,” he told the newspaper Daily Princetonian. Robinson says he wants his message to mean “something to as many people as possible” for the new graduates.
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