Congressman Clyburn to Speak at 2025 Converse Undergraduate Commencement
James E. Clyburn, the U.S. Congressman representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, will serve as the Undergraduate Commencement speaker at Converse University on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
A longtime friend of Converse, Congressman Clyburn has helped advocate for federal funding for South Carolina educational institutions, particularly with his support for increased Pell Grant funding for Converse and other colleges and universities in the state.
“We are honored to have Congressman Clyburn as our Commencement speaker this year,” said Converse President Dr. Boone J. Hopkins. “His unwavering support of education in our state will no doubt inspire our graduates as they take on the next opportunities in their lives, honoring Converse’s traditions of creativity, innovation, and transformation.”
In addition to his service in the SC House of Representatives, Congressman Clyburn is also Chairman of the Democratic Faith Working Group. He previously served as Assistant Democratic Leader from 2011 to 2018 and 2023 to March 2024, and House Majority Whip from 2019 to 2022 and 2007 to 2010, making him the first African American to serve multiple terms as Majority Whip.
Congressman Clyburn’s humble beginnings in Sumter, South Carolina, as the eldest son of an activist, fundamentalist minister and an independent, civic-minded beautician, grounded him securely in family, faith, and public service. A 1961 graduate of South Carolina State, he began his professional career as a public school teacher in Charleston, then served as an employment counselor and director of two youth and community development programs.
In 1971, he joined the staff of Governor John C. West, becoming the first African American advisor to a South Carolina governor. Governor West appointed him South Carolina Human Affairs Commissioner, where he served until 1992 when he retired from state government to run for Congress. When he came to Congress in 1993, Congressman Clyburn was elected co-president of his freshman class. He was subsequently elected Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Vice Chair, and Chair, of the House Democratic Caucus. From 2011 to 2018 and 2023 to March 2024, he served as Assistant Democratic Leader. From 2019 to 2022, he served as House Majority Whip and Chair of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.
“[Congressman Clyburn’s] unwavering support of education in our state will no doubt inspire our graduates as they take on the next opportunities in their lives.”
President Boone J. Hopkins
The recipient of 39 honorary degrees, Congressman Clyburn’s numerous awards include the Lyndon Baines Johnson Liberty and Justice for All Award in 2015; the Harry S. Truman Foundation’s Good Neighbor Award in 2021; the NAACP’s highest honor — the Spingarn Medal — in 2022, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — in 2024.
Congressman Clyburn and his late wife, Emily England Clyburn, met as college student protestors in a South Carolina jail in 1960. This chance encounter led to a 58-year marriage, and they became parents of three daughters, grandparents to four grandchildren, and great-grandparents to one great-grandchild.
Converse University’s 2025 Undergraduate Commencement ceremony will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, in Twichell Auditorium at the Zimmerli Performance Center on Converse’s main campus in Spartanburg. In-person attendance is limited to Converse graduates and their families with tickets, but the ceremony will be live-streamed on the Converse YouTube channel. Details can be found on the Converse Commencement webpage.