Watch CBS News

Matt Damon to give 2016 MIT commencement speech

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Matt Damon shot to fame in the 1997 movie "Good Will Hunting" as a gifted janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Now, he has been selected to deliver the university's 2016 commencement address.

MIT announced Thursday that the Academy Award-winning actor, filmmaker, social activist and Cambridge native will address graduates on June 3.

Damon said in a statement that it's an honor to be named commencement speaker "at a school that I couldn't have gotten into."

MIT President L. Rafael Reif says Damon has "made us think about our world in new ways, and through his service, he has made it a better place."

Anish Punjabi, president of MIT's Class of 2016, says Damon is an inspiration to students who teaches that the world needs more well-rounded leaders.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.