Elder Donald L. Hallstrom, General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is scheduled to be the presiding authority and speaker during Brigham Young University's Commencement Exercises on Thursday, August 17, at 4 p.m., in the Marriott Center. BYU President Kevin J Worthen will conduct the exercises.
The student speaker for the commencement will be Michael William Morgan, an Honors student graduating in Philosophy and minoring in Business Management.
A total of 1888 students will be receiving degrees at the ceremonies, with 1502 students receiving bachelor's degrees, 339 students receiving master's degrees and 47 receiving doctoral degrees. (Numbers as of August 10, 2017)
Tickets are not required for commencement or for college convocations.
Commencement exercises will be broadcast live on BYU TV, BYU Radio, Classical 89 KBYU-FM and byutv.org.
Thursday, August 17 Commencement Schedule
- 2 p.m.: Marriott Center doors open
- 2:30 p.m.: Closing time for most campus offices
- 3 p.m.: Graduates meet in the parking lot on the north side of the Smoot Administration Building (ASB)
- 3:15 p.m.: Family, friends and guests of the graduates should be seated in the Marriott Center. Faculty members are invited to march in the processional; meet on the east or west side of the ASB (in the event of inclement weather, faculty should go directly to the Marriott Center by 3:45 p.m.).
- 3:20 p.m.: Processional of the graduates begins
- 4-5:30 p.m.: Commencement in the Marriott Center
Friday, August 18 College Convocation Schedule
8 a.m.
- Marriott School of Management (Marriott Center)
- School of Education (Smith Fieldhouse)
- Physical and Mathematical Sciences (Ballroom, Wilkinson Student Center)
10 a.m.
- Air Force ROTC (Varsity Theater, Wilkinson Student Center)
11 a.m.
- Humanities (Marriott Center)
- Engineering and Technology (Engineering) (Smith Fieldhouse)
- Nursing (Auditorium, Joseph Smith Building)
- Fine Arts and Communications (Communications) (de Jong Concert Hall, HFAC)
2 p.m.
- Family, Home, and Social Sciences (Marriott Center)
5 p.m.
- Life Sciences (Marriott Center)
The Kennedy Center, Law School, and Religious Education will not be holding August convocations.
For additional information about graduation at BYU: graduation.byu.edu
About the Speaker
Elder Donald L. Hallstrom was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐day Saints on April 1, 2000. He served as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy from April 4, 2009 to August 1, 2017. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Priesthood and Family Department.
From 2005 to 2009, Elder Hallstrom was a member of the Asia Area Presidency, headquartered in Hong Kong, and concluded that service as the Area President. From 2000 to 2003, he was in the Asia North Area, residing in Tokyo, Japan, and also serving as the Area President. Additionally, he served as Executive Director of the Church Audiovisual Department and as a member of the Young Men General Presidency.
Elder Hallstrom graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in economics. At the time of his call to full‐time Church service in 2000, he was president of the Hallstrom Group, Inc., a real estate consulting organization based in Honolulu, Hawaii. He has held various professional designations and certifications and also served as an expert witness in state and federal courts.
Elder Hallstrom has served on various boards, including the executive board of the Aloha Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the President’s Roundtable of Brigham Young University–Hawaii. He was also vice chairman of Hawaii Reserves, Inc., which manages nonecclesiastical Church real estate in Hawaii. Additionally, he also has served on the National Advisory Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Elder Hallstrom has served the Church as a full‐time missionary in England, elders quorum president, stake high councilor, bishop, stake president, and regional representative. He was called as an Area Authority in 1995 and as an Area Seventy in 1997.
Elder Hallstrom was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on July 27, 1949. He married Diane Clifton in July 1972 and they are the parents of four children.
