The most beloved Muppet, Kermit the Frog, will deliver the commencement speech to 2025 graduates at the University of Maryland on May 21, the school in College Park said Wednesday.
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Jim Henson, a University of Maryland alumnus and legendary puppeteer, created the Muppets, which includes an ensemble of puppet characters like Kermit and Miss Piggy, in 1955.
“I just know the class of 2025 is going to leap into the world and make it a better place,” Kermit said in a news release. “So if a few encouraging words from a frog can help, then I’ll be there.”
Kermit, an international icon, has made appearances in shows like “Sesame Street,” “The Muppets Show” and “The Muppets Movie.”
Henson, a home economics major while at Maryland, designed Kermit by building the original puppet out of one of his mother’s coats and a ping-pong ball cut in half, according to the news release.
Kermit was performed by Henson from 1955 until he passed in 1990. Since 2017, American puppeteer Matt Vogel has played as Kermit.
“I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives,” said President Darryll J. Pines in a statement. “Our pride in Jim Henson knows no bounds, and it is an honor to welcome Kermit the Frog to our campus, 65 years after Mr. Henson graduated from [this university].”
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