Educational Excellence Since 1912
Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating students in PreSchool through Grade 12

Senator Christopher Murphy to Deliver Keynote Address at Commencement 2023

Hamden Hall is pleased to announce that United States Senator Chris Murphy will deliver the keynote address to graduates at the 2023 Commencement Ceremony on Friday, June 9.
 
Over the years, Hamden Hall has assembled an unparalleled roster of keynote speakers including Gov. Jodi Rell, Judge John Mercer Walker Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (and cousin of George H.W. Bush); Yale University President Richard C. Levin; New York Times Columnist and Hamden Hall alumnus Ross Douthat; head writer for the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show Gary Greenberg, also a Hamden Hall graduate; and former Witt/Kieffer Chairman and CEO Jordan Hadelman, who graduated from the Class of 1972. Last year, Judge Advocate Capt. William Carpenter, Hamden Hall Class of 2008, returned to his alma mater to address our seniors.

Senator Murphy will now be added to that admirable list of commencement speakers. In addition to his public service for the state of Connecticut, he has a personal connection to Hamden Hall via his longtime relationship with Middle School Director Brian Christman. The two were classmates at Williams College where both obtained their undergraduate degrees. 

“We are honored to have Senator Murphy as our commencement speaker this year,” said Head of School Bob Izzo. “Senator Murphy has a long and distinguished record of service for our state. We look forward to him sharing his knowledge and insight with our graduating students.” 

Senator Murphy has long been an advocate for Connecticut families on the local, state, and federal levels. He was elected as Connecticut’s junior senator in the United States Senate in 2013. Senator Murphy serves on a number of committees including the Foreign Relations Committee, where he works to promote diplomacy and international human rights. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, he works to secure funding for roads, rails, and to increase investments in manufacturing and promote procurement of world-class national defense products.  Senator Murphy has also focused his efforts in partnership with local city and town leaders to rehabilitate former factory sites in order that they be developed into new community spaces. Other committees he serves on include the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee; and the Senate Democratic Outreach Committee.

“As Hamden Hall’s newest graduates embark on their next chapter, I’m honored to have the chance to share some of my best advice and wisdom with them. To the class of 2023, I look forward to seeing you in June,” said Senator Chris Murphy.

Prior to his election to the Senate, Senator Murphy represented Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013. He was also a member of both Chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly. He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003 and in the Connecticut Senate from 2003 to 2007. In 2005, he authored and passed the Stem Cell Investment Act, which invested $100 million over 10 years into embryonic and adult stem cell research to aid in life-saving stem cell research. 

Senator Murphy grew up in Wethersfield, Conn., and attended Williams College in Massachusetts where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School of Law and practiced real estate and banking law with the firm of Ruben, Johnson & Morgan in Hartford. He and his wife, attorney Catherine Holahan, have two sons, Owen and Rider.
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Hamden Hall Country Day School is a nurturing and inclusive community with a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.