Well, this is awkward.

Colleges put a lot of time, and money, into booking commencement speakers. The higher the speaker's profile, the better it reflects on a school about to disgorge another crop of graduates and another sector of future donors.

So, it makes sense that Union College would bring in U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, as the school announced in February. A few weeks ago, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute made a surprising announcement about its graduation speaker: John Lewis!

Even though Union announced Lewis as speaker first, it's unclear who booked him first.

Lewis has an incredible life story as one of the primary leaders of the civil rights movement who endured beatings and racist oppression to become a senior member of Congress. I saw him speak once on the civil rights movement as well as his own story and there was not a dry eye in the house by the end.

I don't know of any time in recent history that two local four-year schools booked the same commencement speaker. Even the most in-demand speakers only give a handful of commencement addresses each year. Lewis has such a natural talent as a speaker who can be highly eloquent off the cuff, I imagine he'll tailor his speech to each school and not repeat it.

Here is a comprehensive list of the commencements, and speakers, thus far:

Albany College of Pharmacy, 1 p.m. May 18, Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany. Speaker — Dr. Richard Daffner, alumnus, author of eight textbooks, who has been a professor at five U.S. medical schools.

Albany Law School, 10 a.m. May 17, Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Speaker Nina Totenberg, NPR legal affairs correspondent.

Albany Medical College, 1 p.m. May 23, Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Speaker — Bruce Beutler, M.D., Nobel laureate credited with developing methods used to create Enbrel, an arthritis and psoriasis medicine.

Albany Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, 5 p.m. May 10, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy. Speaker — Diana Baker, clinical adjunct.

Empire State College Center for Distance Learning. 3 p.m. June 8, Saratoga City Center, Saratoga Springs. Speaker — James Lytle, president of Empire State College Council.

The College of Saint Rose, 10 a.m. May 11, Times Union Center, Albany. Speaker — James Sandman, president of the Legal Services Corp., Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, and Patricia and Spencer Standish, Capital Region philanthropists.

Ellis Hospital School of Nursing, 7 p.m. May 16, Union Memorial Chapel, Schenectady. Speaker — Dawne Devoe Olbrych, M.S. RN CNE.

Empire State College Northeast Center, 11 a.m. June 8, The Egg at Empire State Plaza, Albany. Speaker — Susan Dake, president of Stewart's Foundation.

Fulton-Montgomery Community College, 7 p.m. May 17, Physical Education Building, FMCC, Johnstown. Speaker — Tina Good, member of the SUNY Board of Trustees and president of the Faculty Council of Community Colleges.

Hudson Valley Community College, 8:45 a.m. May 18, Joseph L. Bruno Stadium (rain location: McDonough Sports Complex), HVCC, Troy. Speaker — Tina Good, member of SUNY Board of Trustees and president of the Faculty Council of Community Colleges.

Maria College, 3:30 p.m. May 19, Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany. Speaker — U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 8:30 a.m. May 25, East Campus Athletic Village (rain location: Houston Field House), Troy. Speaker — U.S. Rep. John Lewis, civil rights figure. Honorary degrees will also be awarded to retired Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen, Xerox Chairman and CEO Ursula M. Burns, and Patricia Stonesifer, Microsoft and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pioneer.

Sage Colleges, 10 a.m. May 18, Houston Field House at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy. Speakers — Hamdi Ulukaya, president, founder and CEO of Chobani, Inc., and stage and screen actress Zoe Caldwell.

Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing, 5 p.m. May 9, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy. Speaker — Michelle Webb, nursing 5 course chair

Schenectady County Community College, 4 p.m. May 23, Proctors, Schenectady. Speaker — George Goldhoff, president and CEO of Pure Canadian Gaming.

Siena College, 9:45 a.m. May 19, Times Union Center, Albany. Speakers — Judge Maye D'Agostino; Walter T. Kicinski, former chair of board of trustees, former financial sector manager in New York City; and John J. Nigro, president of Nigro companies, vice chair of the Board of Trustees.

Skidmore College, 10:40 a.m. May 18, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs. Speakers — David Brooks, political and cultural commentator, and Cynthia Blum Carroll, mining industry leader.

Union College, 10 a.m. June 16, Hull Plaza in front of the Schaffer Library, Schenectady. Rain Location: Frank Messa Rink in Achilles Center. Speaker — U.S. Rep. John Lewis, civil rights figure.

University at Albany (undergraduate commencement), 10 a.m. May 19, Entry Plaza Lawn at the top of Collins Circle, Uptown Campus, Albany. Speakers — Republic Records Founders and brothers Monte Lipman, '86, and Avery Lipman, '88.

University at Albany (graduate commencement) 9 a.m. May 18, University at Albany SEFCU Arena, Uptown Campus, Albany. Speaker is TBA

swaldman@timesunion.com • 518-454-5080 • @518Schools; graduation speakers compiled by Michelle Munera