Adm. Christopher Grady, the Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will be the principal speaker and receive an honorary degree at the University of Notre Dame’s 180th University Commencement Ceremony on May 18, Notre Dame President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., announced today.

Grady, currently serving as the 12th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the nation’s second-highest-ranking military officer, graduated from Notre Dame in 1984 and received his commission through Notre Dame’s Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. Since Feb. 21, he has also served as the Acting Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the nation’s highest-ranking military officer. In May 2021, he was named the Navy’s “Old Salt,” an award that recognizes the extensive knowledge and expertise of the longest-serving surface warfare officer on active duty.

“A true American hero, Admiral Grady has demonstrated tremendous courage, visionary leadership and outstanding dedication to public service over his distinguished career, which spans more than 40 years,” Father Dowd said. “It is a privilege to have him address our graduates who will, no doubt, be inspired both by his words and by his example.”

Prior to his current appointment, Grady served as Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command and the naval component commander to both U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Strategic Command. His military career also includes service in command of the USS Chief, USS Ardent, USS Cole, Destroyer Squadron 22, Carrier Strike Group One, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, the U.S. Sixth Fleet, and Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO.

On shore, he has served in policy and strategy positions with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Naval Operations staff, Chief of Legislative Affairs, and National Security Council.

A native of Newport, Rhode Island, Grady also holds master’s degrees from Georgetown University, where he participated as a fellow in foreign service at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, and the National War College.

Grady has received many awards for his service, among them the Distinguished Service Medal; Defense Superior Service Medal; the Legion of Merit and Meritorious Service Medal, both with four gold stars; Joint Service Commendation Medal; Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with three gold stars and with Combat Valor; and the Joint Service Achievement Medal.

Despite his demanding schedule, Grady continues to give back to his alma mater, supporting Notre Dame’s fencing team (Grady was a three-time monogram winner and captain of the fencing team as an undergraduate student), mentoring the University’s Naval ROTC unit, and serving as a guest speaker for Notre Dame’s International Security Center. He is the 2019 recipient of the Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., Award from the Notre Dame Alumni Association, conferred annually on a graduate who has distinguished themselves in military service.

Most recently, Grady returned to campus in September, in connection with Father Dowd’s inauguration as the University’s 18th president, to serve as a featured speaker in the 2024-25 Notre Dame Forum, which explores the question “What do we owe each other?” He discussed peacebuilding and diplomacy in a fractured world with former U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican and former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly.

When asked in that conversation what gives him hope, Grady said, “It has to be a pursuit of truth.

“And I think what Notre Dame does better than anybody else is it enables our students to get after the truth, to be a discerning consumer of all of the various things that are out there.”

Grady and his wife, Christine, are the parents of three children, two of whom are Notre Dame graduates. One of his sons is a U.S. Navy veteran, representing the fifth generation of naval officers in the Grady family.

The 2025 University Commencement Ceremony on May 18 will be held in Notre Dame Stadium beginning at 9 a.m. with the academic procession.