FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fulton, Mo. – May 1, 2026: Westminster College is pleased to announce that Missouri Sen. Travis Fitzwater will deliver the 175-year-old institution’s 2026 commencement address at 2 p.m. on May 9 in Champ Auditorium.
The College will also award an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Fitzwater at the ceremony.
The event is ticketed, with a livestream available to the public on the College’s Facebook and livestream pages.*
“To stand on the same ground where Winston Churchill called a generation to courage is an honor I don’t take lightly,” Fitzwater said recently. “Westminster College has been shaping leaders for 175 years, and as America marks 250 years of its own story, I’m humbled to speak to a class that will write the next chapter of both.”
Fitzwater’s career in public service began with his participation in local campaigns throughout central Missouri before winning a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives in 2014, where he served for eight years.
In 2022, Fitzwater was elected to the Missouri Senate following a competitive primary and general election. Prior to his political career, he worked in college ministry, nonprofit leadership, real estate and small business, while also helping manage his wife’s counseling practice.
Fitzwater earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, and a master’s degree in Atlantic history and politics from the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri in Columbia.
He and his wife, Amy, live in Holts Summit with their three daughters.
Other Commencement Events
Westminster’s commencement events officially begin with baccalaureate at 10:30 a.m. on May 9 in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, part of America’s National Churchill Museum.
Following the 2 p.m. graduation ceremony, graduates will take part in the traditional Columns Ceremony, walking out through the Columns on the Hill at Westminster as a symbolic farewell to years spent in dedicated study and leadership formation at the College.
The Columns Ceremony is open to the public.
A full schedule of commencement activities can be found on Westminster’s website.
“As we celebrate the 175th anniversary of Westminster College, our commencement activities this year are more special than ever,” said Dr. Stephanie Wells, Vice President of Institutional Marketing, Strategic Communications and Community Relations. “We look forward to welcoming Senator Fitzwater, along with the families and friends of the Class of 2026, and celebrating the bright future our graduates have ahead of them.”
ABOUT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE: Founded in 1851 and home of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, Westminster College is ranked prestigiously by The Princeton Review as one of 151 “Best Colleges in the Midwest” for 2026 and is among a select group of full-participation institutions nationwide in the Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement Coalition, as recognized by the Higher Learning Commission. New graduates experience a more than 90% placement rate within six months of graduation, while Westminster alumni are in the top 16% nationwide for graduate earnings. The only National Liberal Arts college in Missouri, Westminster has long been recognized for its focus on educating and inspiring students to make an impact on the world around them. Find out more about Westminster College by visiting www.wcmo.edu.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038 or Sarah.Backer@WCMO.edu.
*All events are subject to change.
Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.
