May 22, 2009 — Patrick Zimmerman

Ellen DeGeneres Delivers Moving Speech at Tulane’s Commencement

Ellen DeGeneres returned to her hometown of New Orleans last Monday to deliver a moving commencement speech to the 2009 graduates at Tulane University, the Katrina class. She joined honorary degree recipient Harry Connick Jr. as the honored celebrity guests at the event. Tulane President Scott Cowen presented DeGeneres with the Tulane University President’s Medal for her work to raise money and awareness for New Orleans after Katrina.

Ellen’s talk was equal parts funny, serious, touching and memorable. From her first greeting to the robe-clad graduates (“Look at you….Usually when you’re wearing a robe at 10 in the morning, it means you’ve given up”), to re-telling the sad story behind her the famous “phone call to God” joke that got her a spot on The Tonight Show, to jokes about being gay (“When you’re older, most of you will be gay”), it was all priceless. After her address, which she concluded with lyrics from Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” Ellen proceeded to dance through the audience bringing the graduates and their families joyously to their feet.

Ellen DeGeneres Delivers Moving Speech at Tulane’s Commencement

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