Margaret Grun Kibben
2020 Commencement Speaker
Rear Admiral Reverend Margaret Grun Kibben, Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives and a 1982 Goucher College graduate, addressed the Class of 2020.
Ret. Rear Admiral Margaret Grun Kibben is the 61st Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives. She is the first
woman to serve as Chaplain in either chamber of Congress.
Previously, Chaplain Kibben served as the U.S. Navy’s 26th Chief Chaplains, serving as the director of religious ministry for the Department of the Navy, advising the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Commandant of the Coast Guard on all matters pertaining to religion in their respective services. She led a community of 2,500 active and reserve officers and enlisted religious ministry professionals.
Her awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (two awards), the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), and the Navy Commendation Medal (three awards). She graduated from Goucher College in 1982 and previously received a Doctor of Divinity from the college in 2012.