Cliff Hudson, longtime Sonic CEO, to deliver USAO’s 2024 commencement address
Cliff Hudson, former chairman of the board and CEO of Sonic Corp., will deliver the 2024 commencement address at the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma.
Hudson spent nearly 35 years at Sonic Corp., most recently as chairman of the board and CEO. He also served the organization in the capacity of general counsel, chief financial offer and chief operating officer. He currently serves of counsel in the Crowe & Dunlevy Law firm’s Oklahoma City office.
Hudson received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oklahoma with Phi Beta Kappa and President’s Leadership scholarships. He has been awarded with many honors from OU, including the university’s Regents Award and an honorary doctoral degree in humane letters.
A graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, Hudson served as an editor of the International Law Journal and was a member of the legal honor society Phi Delta Phi. He previously served as chair of the board of visitors for Georgetown University Law Center and was honored with its Paul Dean Award. He has also been awarded with the Georgetown Alumni Association’s highest honor—the John Carroll Award.
The 2024 commencement ceremony will be the first for USAO’s 13th president and alumna, Dr. Kayla Hale.
“As an alumna returning to serve as President, I'm immensely proud of the strides we've made,” said Hale. “Reflecting on the transformation our campus has undergone since my student days, each graduate crossing this stage adds to our university's rich history, embodying our tradition of excellence in interdisciplinary education. Congratulations, graduates, on etching your mark into the enduring history of the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma."
The spring 2024 graduation ceremony will be held April 27 at 11 a.m. on the oval in the center of campus.
Learn more at usao.edu/commencement.
About the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma
As Oklahoma’s liberal arts college, the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma provides a distinctive education in the liberal arts and sciences, supporting both its interdisciplinary core curriculum and major fields of study with superior teaching. USAO fosters diversity of thought and practice to help students realize meaningful, purposeful and productive lives as global citizens in a rapidly-changing world.