| 1 | 1964-65 | June 6, 1965 | James Dickey, author, poet-in-residence |
| 2 | 1965-66 | June 5, 1966 | Kenneth R. Pitzer, President, Rice University and son of founder Russell K. Pitzer |
| 3 | 1966-67 | June 11, 1967 | William R. Rogers, writer-in-residence |
| 4 | 1967-68 | June 9, 1968 | Stephen L. Glass, Pitzer Professor of Classics |
| 5 | 1968-69 | June 8, 1969 | David Reisman, Henry Ford II Professor of the Social Sciences, Harvard University |
| 6 | 1969-70 | June 7, 1970 | John W. Atherton, writer and Pitzer College founding president |
| 7 | 1970-71 | June 6, 1971 | Sylvia Mead, Aquanaut and Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year, 1970 |
| 8 | 1971-72 | June 4, 1972 | William Russell Ellis, Professor of Sociology, UC Berkeley and former Pitzer professor, 1966-1969 |
| 9 | 1972-73 | June 10, 1973 | Sister Helen Kelley, President, Immaculate Heart College |
| 10 | 1973-74 | June 9, 1974 | Harry Reasoner, ABC news commentator and Pitzer Parent ’74 |
| 11 | 1974-75 | June 8, 1975 | John Vasconcellos, California Assemblyman, 23rd District |
| 12 | 1975-76 | June 6, 1976 | Ray Bradbury, author |
| 13 | 1976-77 | June 5, 1976 | Tom Bradley, Mayor of Los Angeles |
| 14 | 1977-78 | May 21, 1978 | James A Joseph, Undersecretary, US Department of the Interior |
| 15 | 1978-79 | May 20, 1979 | Art Seidenbaum, book editor, Los Angeles Times |
| 16 | 1979-80 | May 18, 1980 | Ronald KS Macauley, Pitzer Professor of Linguistics |
| 17 | 1980-81 | May 17, 1981 | Jacquelyn A Mattfield, educator and humanist |
| 18 | 1981-82 | May 16, 1982 | Paul Saltman, Professor of Biology and former Provost and Vice Chancellor, UC San Diego |
| 19 | 1982-83 | May 15, 1983 | Marvin L. Goldberger, President and Professor of Physics, California Institute of Technology |
| 20 | 1983-84 | May 13, 1984 | Paul Conrad, Editorial Cartoonist, Los Angeles Times |
| 21 | 1984-85 | May 19, 1985 | Sandra Scarr, Psychologist, University of Virginia |
| 22 | 1985-86 | May 18, 1986 | Alfred H Bloom, Professor of Psychology and Linguistics, Swarthmore College |
| 23 | 1986-87 | May 17, 1987 | Russell Means, American Indian Activist |
| 24 | 1987-88 | May 15, 1989 | James Dickey, Professor of English, University of South Carolina (also first commencement speaker) |
| 25 | 1988-89 | May 14, 1989 | John W Atherton, writer and founding president of Pitzer College (also commencement speaker in 1970) |
| 26 | 1989-90 | May 13, 1990 | David Hwang, writer and playwright |
| 27 | 1990-91 | May 19, 1991 | Diane Mosbacher ’71, Regional Medical Chief, San Mateo County, California |
| 28 | 1991-92 | May 17, 1992 | Emily A Stevens ’71, Superior Court Judge |
| 29 | 1992-93 | May 16, 1993 | Sheila Kemper Dietrich ’79, VP, Missouri United Bank |
| 30 | 1993-94 | May 15, 1994 | James A Joseph, Council on Foundations |
| 31 | 1994-95 | May 14, 1995 | Xavier Becerra, Representative, 30th Congressional District |
| 32 | 1995-96 | May 12, 1996 | Edward James Olmos, Actor, Director, Activist |
| 33 | 1996-97 | May 18, 1997 | Yolanda King, founder of Higher Ground Productions; religious, education, civic, and human rights activist |
| 34 | 1997-98 | May 17, 1998 | Joe Clark, educator, author, former principal of Eastside High School, Patterson, New Jersey, subject of 1989 film Lean on Me |
| 35 | 1998-99 | May 16, 1999 | Martin Espada, poet and essayist |
| 36 | 1999-2000 | May 14, 2000 | Susan Estrich, political advisor, law professor, and syndicated columnist |
| 37 | 2000-01 | May 13, 2001 | Dr. Jocelyn Elders, former Surgeon General of the United States |
| 38 | 2001-02 | May 19, 2002 | Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Professor of Women’s Studies, Spelman College |
| 39 | 2002-03 | May 18, 2003 | Naomi Wolf, author, feminist, and social critic |
| 40 | 2003-04 | May 16, 2004 | Bernardine Dohrn, director of the Children and Family Justice Center, Northwestern University of Law |
| 41 | 2004-05 | May 15, 2005 | Sarah Weddington, attorney and spokesperson on leadership and public issues |
| 42 | 2005-06 | May 14, 2006 | Fabian Nunez ’97, speaker of the California State Assembly |
| 43 | 2006-07 | May 13, 2007 | Eric Schlosser, author, reporter |
| 44 | 2007-08 | May 17, 2008 | Samantha Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, foreign policy analyst, journalist, professor |
| 45 | 2008-09 | May 16, 2009 | David Feldman, writer, comedian, and author |
| 46 | 2009-10 | May 15, 2010 | Cory A Booker, Mayor of Newark, New Jersey |
| 47 | 2010-11 | May 14, 2011 | Max Brooks ’97, author and screenwriter |
| 48 | 2011-12 | May 12, 2012 | Angela Davis, author, educator, and activist |
| 49 | 2012-13 | May 13, 2013 | Jon Lovett, writer and humorist |
| 50 | 2013-14 | May 17, 2014 | Van Jones, environmentalist, social justice champion, and CNN correspondent |
| 51 | 2014-15 | May 16, 2015 | Janet Mock, bestselling author, commentator, and trans women’s rights activist |
| 52 | 2015-16 | May 14, 2016 | Patrisse Cullors, social activist, artist, and co-creator of the Twitter hashtag #BlackLivesMatter |
| 53 | 2016-17 | May 13, 2017 | Guy Raz, TED Radio Hour host |
| 54 | 2017-18 | May 12, 2018 | Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America |
| 55 | 2018-19 | May 18, 2019 | Laverne Cox, actress and activist |
| 56 | 2019-20 | May 21, 2022* | Sikivu Hutchinson, award-winning writer, activist, educator, and director |
| 57 | 2020-21 | May 15, 2021** | Mondaire Jones, US Representative (D-NY) |
| 58 | 2021-22 | May 14, 2022 | LaTosha Brown, award-winning organizer, political strategist, and philanthropic consultant, the Black Voters Matter Fund |
