U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. “Marty” Walsh will be the 2022 Endicott College commencement speaker in May.
Endicott’s 82nd commencement ceremony takes place Saturday, May 21, at 10 a.m., at Hempstead Stadium.
“Secretary Walsh’s commitment to equity and creating jobs for all people—first in the Commonwealth, and now nationally—is the very embodiment of an Endicott education, which is defined by internships and experiential learning,” said Endicott College President Steven R. DiSalvo.
Born and raised in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester by immigrant parents, Walsh is a survivor of Burkitt lymphoma and a proud member of the recovery community who has worked to expand addiction treatment throughout his career. While working full-time as a legislator, he returned to school to earn a degree in political science at Boston College.
A staunch supporter of workers’ rights, Walsh joined the Laborers Union Local 223 at 21 and, from 2011 to 2013, led the Building and Construction Trades Council. He established a program called Building Pathways that has become a model for increasing diversity in the workplace and providing good career opportunities for women and people of color.
Walsh was elected as a state representative for one of the most diverse districts in Massachusetts in 1997. As the 54th mayor of Boston, from 2014, to 2021, Walsh led the creation of nearly 140,000 jobs and helped secure a statewide $15/hour minimum wage, paid sick leave and paid parental leave. He established universal, high-quality pre-kindergarten for all children, and free community college for low-income students. He was sworn in as President Joe Biden’s 29th Secretary of Labor March 23, 2021.