danny devito

Ramapo College students are petitioning to enlist New Jersey native Danny DeVito as their 2017 commencement speaker. (File photo)

MAHWAH -- Rutgers University students launched a successful multi-year letter-writing and social media campaign to land President Barack Obama as their commencement speaker last May.

Now, Ramapo College students have their hearts set on their own celebrity graduation speaker - Danny DeVito.

More than 550 people have signed a petition calling on the New Jersey-born actor to speak at the Mahwah-based college's 2017 commencement ceremony.

"In a time of shifting uncertainty, we students need the stalwart definition of someone who represents a positive future: Well, New Jersey native Danny DeVito is such a man, whose story and life can influence anybody to think positively as they take the plunge into their next big adventure," reads the petition written by Ramapo students Nick Perez and James Perlas on behalf of the school's student body.

School administrators are backing the students' pick. Last week, Ramapo officials used the college's Twitter account to tweet the petition to the Emmy-winning actor's social media account last week.

"Hi @DannyDeVito! 500+ RCNJ students have petitioned for you to be our 2017 Commencement Speaker. Can we chat?" Ramapo's tweet said.

Ramapo spokeswoman Angela Daidone said the college called on the campus community to suggest speakers for the May 11 ceremony at the Prudential Center in Newark and DeVito was nominated.

"We haven't received a response yet from Danny DeVito," Daidone said.

DeVito's publicist in California also did not immediately respond to an NJ Advance Media request to comment.

DeVito, 72, was born in Neptune and grew up in Asbury Park. He went on to star in the television show "Taxi" and numerous films, including "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Twins," "Batman Returns" and "Get Shorty." The actor, director and producer currently stars in the FXX sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

He is scheduled to make his Broadway debut in Arthur Miller's "The Price" in February. The limited engagement production is scheduled to end May 7, a few days before Ramapo's commencement ceremony.

In their petition, Ramapo students said DeVito would be an ideal speaker for the school's 1,500 graduates because of his New Jersey ties, his varied career and the fact that he never let his short stature stand in the way of his success.

"To us Ramapo students, he truly embodies the heart of the school we truly love: Someone who may have started life as the underdog, but now shines above the rest," the petition said.

Last year, Ramapo's commencement speaker was Anthony Padovano, a campus theology and literature professor and author of 29 books. In previous years, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, YouTube comedian Grace Helbig, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and CBS News anchor Chris Wragge have delivered the school's commencement addresses.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at " on Facebook.