Wofford College awarded 453 baccalaureate degrees Sunday during its 172nd Commencement Exercises, bringing graduates, families, faculty members, and alumni to the front lawn of Main Building in Spartanburg. The college said President Nayef H. Samhat, its 11th president, delivered the keynote address as the Class of 2026 crossed the stage in one of the city’s most visible higher-education ceremonies each spring.
The ceremony carried more than just degree conferrals. Wofford said honorary degrees were presented to Ashley Richardson Allen, Christopher A. P. Carpenter ’90, Nayef Samhat, and Prema Samhat. The college also recognized teaching and service awards, with Dr. Rachel Vanderhill receiving the Philip Covington Award and Dr. Lori Cruze receiving the Roger Milliken Award. Student and community awards went to Joe Khalil, Dr. James Bearden, Sunni Owens, and Stacy McBride, while six honor graduates were recognized for perfect academic records. Two retiring faculty members, John Fort and Dr. Cecile Nowatka, were also honored.
Commencement weekend extended beyond Sunday’s lawn ceremony. Wofford said eight students were commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army the day before, adding a military milestone to the graduation weekend schedule. The college’s family information page said seating on the lawn did not require tickets, the ceremony was expected to last about two hours, and a livestream was available for family and friends who could not attend in person. The same guidance also outlined the rain plan, which would have moved commencement inside Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium with limited electronic tickets if the weather had turned.
For Spartanburg, Wofford’s commencement is both a campus tradition and a city event. Hotels, restaurants, and downtown businesses see extra activity during graduation weekend, and the procession of families through the college campus has become a familiar late-spring marker. This year’s ceremony combined academic achievement, honorary recognition, faculty awards, and ROTC commissioning into a weekend that underscored Wofford’s role as one of Spartanburg’s central institutions.
