Actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise, who played Lieutenant Dan in the hit 1994 film Forrest Gump, will speak at Vanderbilt University’s 2025 Commencement activities this spring.
Vanderbilt said Sinise will receive the university’s prestigious Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal upon speaking at the commencement celebrations on May 8, the day before the university’s official commencement ceremony.
Humanitarian, musician and actor Gary Sinise will receive Vanderbilt’s prestigious Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal when he speaks at the university’s #VU2025 Commencement activities.
The Graduates Day address will take place on May 8 at 11 a.m. https://t.co/MtSInF0WTc
— Vanderbilt University (@VanderbiltU) March 20, 2025
As one of the university’s highest honors, the Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal is awarded to “individuals who exemplify the best qualities of the human spirit.”
Sinise’s graduates day address will be held at the David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center Indoor Practice Facility.
“Gary Sinise is best known for his work as an actor, but perhaps most admired for his work with veterans,” Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said in a statement.
“As a university deeply committed to supporting those who’ve served in our armed forces, we are proud to award Mr. Sinise our Nichols-Chancellor’s Medal, and we look forward to his inspiring words for our graduates and their families,” Diermeier added.
Since his portrayal of the double-amputee Forrest Gump, Sinise has worked with various veterans’ organizations and performed hundreds of shows for charities and fundraisers supporting wounded veterans and active-duty troops around the world in the Lt. Dan Band.
In 2011, Sinise created the Gary Sinise Foundation, a charity and veterans service organization that offers a variety of programs, services, and events for military veterans, defenders, first responders, and their families designed to “entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.”
Since its founding, the Gary Sinise Foundation has raised more than $300 million, which, among other initiatives, has gone towards building 94 specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded heroes, serving 1,206,182 meals to defenders across the country and overseas, and awarding 773 emergency relief grants to police, firefighters, and EMTs.
In 2022, Sinise relocated his foundation and family from California to the Nashville area, citing Tennessee’s business climate and proximity to more military bases.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
