Who created Kermit the Frog? Muppets character set to deliver commencement address at the University of Maryland
Popular Muppets character Kermit the Frog is set to deliver a commencement address at the University of Maryland on May 21, 2025. The character will be performed and voiced by Matt Vogel during the address.
On March 26, 2025, the University of Maryland and Muppets Studio announced in a joint statement that Kermit the Frog will deliver the 2025 commencement address at the university. Kermit said in a statement:
“Nothing could make these feet happier than to speak at the University of Maryland. I just know the class of 2025 is going to leap into the world and make it a better place, so if a few encouraging words from a frog can help, then I’ll be there!”
It continued:
“An international superstar and best-selling author who - in many ways - got his start right here on our campus. From humble beginnings, he has gone on to become one of the world’s most beloved and enduring cultural icons—all while sharing a message of optimism and believing in yourself."
A promo video released by the University of Maryland on YouTube described the animated frog as a Peabody Award winner, environmental advocate, and "friend to all creatures."
Kermit the Frog was created by puppeteer Jim Henson, who was the creative genius of the Muppets. Henson first introduced the friendly amphibian in 1955 on a local show called Sam and Friends. Kermit gained more popularity after he appeared on Sesame Street in 1969 and thereafter on The Muppets Show. Until his death in 1990, Jim Henson voiced Kermit himself.
Henson was an alumna of the University of Maryland and was a student at the university when he created Kermit. The iconic puppeteer graduated in 1960. A bronze statue of Henson, along with his creation Kermit, is placed in front of the student union at the University of Maryland in his memory.
Kermit the Frog was voiced by Jim Henson himself until his death in 1990
Since his creation and introduction by Jim Henson in 1955, Kermit the Frog was voiced and performed by the puppeteer himself. He belonged to a group of anthropomorphic hand puppets as a part of the long-running kids' show, Sesame Street. He also appeared on The Muppets Show (1976-1981).
Over the years, Kermit the Frog became a part of popular culture and appeared on multiple TV shows, video games, and other forms of media. The character is also popularly used in internet memes. On Sesame Street, Kermit was a news reporter who gave a serious perspective to the hilarious events around him. Other characters on the show were Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, and Miss Piggy.
After the death of Jim Henson in 1990, Steve Whitmire took over the helm of voicing and performing Kermit the Frog. During his lifetime and after his death, Kermit and the other muppet characters continued to appear in many films centered around them, such as The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984).
Kermit the Frog is currently voiced by Matt Vogel, who took over the part from Steve Whitmire in 2017.
Kermit the Frog has delivered commencement addresses in the past
The University of Maryland address will not be the first time Kermit the Frog has delivered such a speech. Frank Reifsnyder, a spokesperson of The Muppets Studio, told CNN about the character's similar ventures before.
He delivered a commencement address at the Southampton College of Long Island University to the 1996 graduating class, per Reifsnyder. Further, the puppet was also honored with a doctorate of amphibious letters degree. During the 1996 speech, Kermit said:
“I am sure that when you were children growing up back in your own particular swamps or suburbs, you never imagined you would sit here on one of the most important days of your life listening to a short, green talking frog deliver your commencement address."
The popular character continued:
All of us should feel very proud of ourselves… and just a little bit silly. In any case, congratulations to all of you graduates. As we say in the wetlands, ‘Ribbit-ribbit-kneedeep-ribbit,’ which means ‘May success and a smile always be yours… even when you’re knee deep in the sticky muck of life.’"
According to Reifsnyder, Kermit, dubbed "the world's most famous amphibian," previously addressed the 1996 winter commencement batch at the University of Maryland and delivered a speech at Harvard University in 1982.
Years after Jim Henson's death, Kermit the Frog remains one of the world's most popular children's characters and an integral part of pop culture.