Hamilton College to hold in-person commencement on June 4 for Class of 2020, which didn’t have one

CLINTON, N.Y. — Hamilton College on June 4 will hold an in-person commencement for the Class of 2020, which was limited to a virtual ceremony two years ago.

Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix and 1981 Hamilton College graduate, will give the commencement address. The graduation ceremony is scheduled for June 4 at 10:30 a.m. in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.

Hamilton will also award honorary degrees to Randolph and Edvige Jean-François.

Jean-François, a 1990 graduate, will offer the college’s baccalaureate address on June 3 at 3 p.m. in the Scott Field House.

Randolph is the co-founder and first CEO of the famous online streaming service but has had a career as an entrepreneur spanning more than four decades. He has founded several other successful startups, been a mentor to early-stage entrepreneurs, and an investor in numerous tech ventures. Randolph is the author of “That Will Never Work – the birth of Netflix and the amazing life of an idea,” host of the “That Will Never Work” podcast, and part of Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Elevator Pitch” web series. Most recently, Randolph co-founded the analytics software company Looker Data and currently serves as an advisor to other startups in roles including mentor, CEO coach, or board member.

Jean-François, a media consultant and award-winning, multilingual journalist, has spent her career covering major domestic and international events for ABC News and then CNN. As a senior producer at CNN, she produced documentaries, multi-platform news, and features. In 2021, she served as a guest editor of a special edition of Hamilton’s alumni magazine, focused on racial inequality and injustice. She developed content and international sponsorships pertaining to CNN’s Africa programming including African Voices and Marketplace Africa. Jean-François also produced or contributed to news reports that aired on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” and “CNN Heroes” and covered developments regarding U.S. Congress, the State Department, and the Supreme Court. She has also covered numerous natural disasters.

Hamilton College will hold the commencement for its Class of 2022 on May 22 in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. The college recently announced that Gillian Zucker — president of business operations for the NBA’s L.A. Clippers and a 1990 graduate of Hamilton College — will deliver that commencement address and receive an honorary degree.