Huntsman to Deliver Commencement Address at SNHU

As the Washington University community absorbs the news that Elie Wiesel will deliver the university’s commencement address, a different commencement speaker is attracting attention from political observers.

Jon Huntsman currently finds himself in the difficult position of attempting to run for President as a Republican while simultaneously serving as President Obama’s Ambassador to China. Giving a political speech while serving as ambassador is illegal, but it would be acceptable for the Ambassador to China to deliver a university’s commencement address. It would be especially convenient if that university happened to be in New Hampshire, home of the first Republican primary and known for its moderate politics.

It turns out that Huntsman will in fact be doing exactly that, delivering the commencement address at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), a private university located in Manchester, on May 21. It’s not the first time that a primary candidate will deliver the university’s commencement address. In 2007, the university’s commencement speaker was then-Senator Barack Obama.