Former President Bill Clinton is coming to Rochester to deliver the commencement address for one of the area's newest colleges.
Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, will speak Friday, Aug. 14, at the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship's second-ever graduation ceremony.
A representative for the institute confirmed Clinton's appearance to the Democrat and Chronicle after students were notified this week.
"We can confirm that Bill Clinton is going to be the speaker at the institute's graduation ceremony," Wendy Boyce of McDougall Communications said in an email. "We have no other details to share at this time."
It's a big-name speaker for a small and relatively new Rochester school.
The Golisano Institute held its first commencement only a year ago. About 250 people, including graduates, family members, faculty, staff and business partners , attended the inaugural ceremony in August 2025.
A former president of the United States will address its second graduating class.
Exactly how the Golisano Institute landed Clinton as its commencement speaker isn't yet clear.
The institute was founded by Paychex founder and billionaire philanthropist Tom Golisano in 2022, officially opening its inaugural student class in fall 2023, as an alternative to a traditional four-year college education. Its two-year program is designed to prepare students for careers in business and entrepreneurship.
The Democrat and Chronicle asked the institute about how Clinton's appearance came together, including whether Golisano has a relationship with Clinton and whether Clinton is receiving a speaking fee.
A representative for the institute declined to provide additional details.The institute did not provide additional details.
Landing high-profile speakers isn't entirely new for the young institute.
Tim Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics International, delivered the commencement address for the institute's inaugural graduating class in 2025. Shriver is the son of Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver, the former U.S. ambassador to France and Democratic nominee for vice president.
The institute has also brought an eclectic collection of prominent business, sports and public figures to Rochester to speak with students, including former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan, former Paychex CEO Martin Mucci and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
The Golisano Institute graduation ceremony is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14.
Students were informed of Clinton's appearance in an email this week and invited to request a spot on the guest list.
It wasn't immediately clear how many people will attend this year's ceremony or whether it will be open to the public or news media.
Clinton, 79, served as president from 1993 to 2001 after previously serving as governor of Arkansas.
Clinton's commencement appearance will also bring him back to Rochester more than a decade after his last known visit to the city.
Clinton made two Rochester stops in April 2016 while campaigning for his wife, Hillary Clinton, ahead of New York's Democratic presidential primary.
His final stop came April 18, 2016, the day before the primary. Clinton visited the Monroe County Democratic Committee headquarters on University Avenue and made stops at Cafe Sasso on Park Avenue and a barbershop on Jefferson Avenue.
He had also held a campaign rally at Laborers' Union Local 435 earlier that month.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Former U.S. president coming to Rochester to deliver commencement address