Commencement May 20, 2023

Honorary Degree: Doctor of Fine Arts
Conferred on Marlee Matlin

Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin served as Marquette University's undergraduate Commencement speaker on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 9 a.m. As part of the university's Commencement ceremonies, Matlin received an honorary doctor of fine arts degree.

“Marlee Matlin is a gifted actress who carries forward the Marquette spirit beyond the screen as a strong advocate for others,” Marquette President Michael R. Lovell said. “She has illuminated new perspectives in her art, from those experiencing deafness to living with disabilities, which have touched multiple generations. I look forward to hearing her inspiring message for our graduates.”

Matlin made her professional acting debut in the film “Children of a Lesser God,” winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1987. She was the first deaf person to win an Academy Award and is the youngest winner in the Best Actress category. Since then, she has appeared in scores of films and television series, earning four Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Recently, she was part of the cast of the film “CODA,” which won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, as well as the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Matlin accepts roles only if producers commit to caption the film or television program and is considered the best-known deaf person in the United States. She is the ALCU’s celebrity ambassador for disability rights, and in that role focuses specifically on bridging the gap between law enforcement and the deaf community. She won the Henry Viscardi Achievement Award for disability advocacy and, in 1987, she received an honorary degree from Gallaudet University. She was appointed to the Gallaudet board of trustees in 2007.

A published author, Matlin wrote a novel titled “Deaf Child Crossing,” which is loosely based on her childhood. Her New York Times best-selling autobiography, “I’ll Scream Later,” was published in 2009.

Beyond her acting, Matlin is committed to working with charitable organizations including Easter Seals, American Red Cross, the ACLU, and other charities supporting children, victims of domestic violence and addiction, and various Jewish charities. She was also nominated by the U.S. Congress and approved by then-President Bill Clinton to be on the board of Americorps and spoke on the White House South Lawn with then-President Barack Obama on the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2015.