U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will be the commencement speaker for Morehouse College, officials announced Tuesday.
About 500 students are scheduled to graduate during the May 16 ceremony.
Gates previously served as president of Texas A&M University.
"Secretary Gates has led an exemplary life – one characterized primarily by decades of service to our country," Morehouse President Robert Franklin said in a statement. "All together, Gates embodies Morehouse’s commitment to ethical leadership, public service and service to the global community."
The college also will honor President Emeritus Walter E. Massey, who served from 1995-2007, with the distinguished Presidential Citation. Massey is currently chairman of the board for the Bank of America.