Apple’s chief executive officer will give the keynote address at Commencement this May, the University announced Wednesday.
Tim Cook, who succeeded Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in August 2011, is the first openly gay CEO on the Fortune 500 list. The 54-year-old came out publicly in a Bloomberg piece in October.
“I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me,” he wrote then.
Cook gave the commencement speech at Auburn University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, in 2010. He was chief operating officer of Apple at the time.
University-wide Commencement will take place May 17 on the National Mall.
Last year, the University chose celebrity chef José Andrés to headline Commencement. The previous year, actress Kerry Washington sent off the graduating class.