Humanitarian, actor and musician Gary Sinise will receive Vanderbilt University's prestigious Nichols-Chancellor's Medal when he speaks at the university's 2025 Commencement activities. The Nichols-Chancellor's Medal, one of the university's highest honors, is awarded to individuals who exemplify the best qualities of the human spirit. It was created and endowed by Vanderbilt Law School graduate Ed Nichols and his wife, Janice, in honor of Edward Carmack and Lucile Hamby Nichols, and 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the awarding of the medal. Sinise's Graduates Day address will be on May 8 at 11 a.m. at the David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center Indoor Practice Facility. The Commencement Celebration will take place at Sports Club Field (Rec Grass Field) immediately following the speaker event.
Sinise, who grew up in a family of veterans, formed an even deeper connection with the military community after playing Lt. Dan Taylor in the Academy Award-winning film Forrest Gump. His portrayal of the double amputee led to connections with various veterans' organizations, volunteer work with the United Service Organizations and performances with the Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band, through which he's performed hundreds of shows for charities and fundraisers supporting wounded veterans and active-duty troops around the world.
"Gary Sinise is best known for his work as an actor, but perhaps most admired for his work with veterans," Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said. "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."
In 2011, Sinise founded 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. Since its founding, the foundation has raised more than $300 million for this programming.
In 2008, Sinise became only the third actor ever to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian honor awarded to citizens for exemplary deeds performed in service of the nation. He has also been named an honorary chief petty officer by the United States Navy, an honorary Marine by the United States Marine Corps, and an honorary battalion chief of the Fire Department of New York. Additionally, Sinise has earned the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Spirit of the USO Award, the Sylvanus Thayer Award from the West Point Association of Graduates and the George Catlett Marshall Medal from the Association of the United States Army.
As an actor, Sinise has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards, and has been nominated for an Academy Award. In 2017 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sinise relocated the Gary Sinise Foundation to the Nashville area in 2021, with headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, and he moved his family to the area in 2023.
Previous recipients of the Nichols-Chancellor's Medal include David Brooks, Maria Ressa and Reid Hoffman.
Sinise's address will be part of the university's 2025 Commencement celebrations. The event will also be livestreamed. Graduates Day celebrates all graduates and traditionally occurs the day before the university's Commencement ceremony, which is scheduled this year for May 9 at GEODIS Park.
