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Erskine commencement set for May 9

College and seminary graduates will be recognized at Erskine’s 2026 commencement ceremony Saturday, May 9, at 10:30 a.m. under the towers of the Erskine Building. Edward McMullen, Jr., who served as Ambassador of the United States to Switzerland and Liechtenstein from November 2017 to January 2021, will deliver the commencement address.

During his service as ambassador, McMullen was recognized for developing the strongest bilateral relationship in history between the United States and Switzerland. He focused on FDI (foreign direct investment in the United States) and met over 300 CEOs and chairs of boards of directors throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein, building relationships and a favorable environment for economic growth. Thanks to his leadership in this initiative, Switzerland became the sixth-largest foreign direct investor in the United States.

Edward McMullen, Jr.

Now a senior policy advisor with Adams and Reese LLP, McMullen serves on the board of a Paris-based communications firm as well as on the North American boards of several Swiss companies. He continues to build relationships among investors and corporate leadership in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Europe. He is a member of the Swiss American Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Prior to his appointment as ambassador, he founded and served as president of McMullen Public Affairs, a South Carolina-based corporate advertising and public relations firm. McMullen’s clients have included several Fortune 25 companies and associations operating in the aerospace, high-tech, data analytics, pharmaceutical, finance, and biotech sectors.

McMullen raised funds and served as a policy adviser in several national presidential campaigns, as well as in congressional and statewide political campaigns in Virginia and South Carolina.

He served on the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and completed two terms as Chairman of the South Carolina Endowed Chairs Research Centers Board, among other appointments and leadership roles. He is a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, the state of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

This year’s commencement ceremony will be preceded at 8:30 a.m. by a Service of Blessing for Seniors in Lesesne Auditorium.

Erskine and Due West Skyline

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Erskine College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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