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Kermit the Frog to deliver commencement
address at the University of Maryland graduation
[May 22, 2025]
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Kermit the Frog knows it’s not easy
being green — or graduating from college and entering the real world,
especially during a time of economic uncertainty and political turmoil.
Members of the University of Maryland’s class of 2025 will receive their
diplomas Thursday evening with sage advice from the amphibious Muppet
ringing in their ears.
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Kermit the Frog, who was created and originally performed by Jim Henson
as a main character on "The Muppet Show," is shown on display at the
Maryland Center for History and Culture, on May 24, 2023, in Baltimore.
(Kaitlin Newman/The Baltimore Banner via AP, File) |
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The
university announced in March that Kermit, who was created in
1955 and became the centerpiece of the Muppets franchise, would
be this year’s commencement speaker. He’s also no stranger to
the school.
Muppets creator Jim Henson graduated from Maryland in 1960. A
home economics major, he fashioned the original frog puppet from
one of his mother’s coats and a ping-pong ball cut in half,
according to a statement from the university. Henson died in
1990.
A bronze statue of Henson and Kermit sitting on a bench is a
well-known feature of the College Park campus.
In a video announcing the speaker pick, Kermit is described as
an environmental advocate, a best-selling author, an
international superstar and a champion of creativity, kindness
and believing in the impossible.
His speaker bio calls him “a star of stage, screen and swamp”
whose simple mission is to “sing and dance and make people
happy.”
“I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will
experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit
the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives,” university
President Darryll J. Pines said in a statement.
The statement also quoted the beloved frog himself: “Nothing
could make these feet happier than to speak at the University of
Maryland. I just know the class of 2025 is going to leap into
the world and make it a better place, so if a few encouraging
words from a frog can help, then I’ll be there!”
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