Bob Orr

BETHANY — Bethany College will welcome veteran CBS News correspondent and Emmy Award-winning journalist Bob Orr to deliver the commencement address for the Class of 2026 Saturday.

Orr, part of the college’s Class of 1975, will be awarded an honorary degree during the ceremony, while the Rev. Lee Hull Moses will serve as the Baccalaureate speaker.

Baccalaureate services will be held at 5 p.m. Friday in Commencement Hall, offering graduates a time for reflection and celebration of their academic journey. Commencement will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Hummel Field House.

Orr spent more than four decades in broadcast journalism, retiring in 2015 from CBS News in Washington, D.C. Over the course of his career, he served as the network’s Justice and Homeland Security correspondent, leading coverage of major national and international events.

“Bob Orr’s extraordinary career in journalism and his commitment to truth and public service reflect the very best of Bethany’s mission,” said Bethany President Jamie Caridi. “His experience covering some of the most significant events of our time will offer our graduates both inspiration and a powerful example of leadership in action.”

Orr began his career in local television, working in Wheeling, Philadelphia, and Columbus, Ohio, where he spent 12 years as a reporter and anchor at WBNS. In 1993, he joined CBS News, where he went on to cover major stories including the Boston Marathon bombings, the death of Osama bin Laden, and the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

Throughout his career, Orr reported extensively on terrorism and national security, including the rise of ISIS and the operations of al Qaeda. He was also a key contributor to CBS News’ historic coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks, providing live reporting and breaking developments during the crisis.

In addition to his national security reporting, Orr covered major aviation and transportation stories, including the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster and several high-profile airline crashes. His investigative work helped uncover a design flaw in the Boeing 737 rudder system following the 1994 crash of US Air Flight 427.

Orr is the recipient of four national Emmy Awards, as well as the prestigious Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Silver Baton for his coverage of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

Since his retirement, Orr has remained active as a speaker and community leader, frequently addressing topics such as terrorism, media responsibility, and the First Amendment.

Moses will deliver the Baccalaureate address as part of the College’s commencement weekend. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Moses serves as senior minister at Central Christian Church in Indianapolis and is a respected author and speaker. Her work focuses on faith, leadership, justice, and the evolving role of the church in contemporary society. She is the author of “More Than Enough: Living Abundantly in a Culture of Excess,” and has contributed to numerous publications and conversations around progressive Christianity and community engagement.