WELCOME. PRESIDENT FAUST, MEMBERS OF THE WELCOME TOHE AS THE 139TH PRESIDENT OF TH SET OUR VERY FIRST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, JOHN >> I'M NA AND THIS IS BILL. >> AS WE WELCOME THE NEW ALUM OF 2018 TODAY, THERE IS A BEAUT IN THE AIR AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A WONDFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TCOMMUNE AFTER THE FORMALITY OF THE COMMENCEMENT AND THERE ARE MANY CLASSES MEETING TODAY INCLUDING THE CLASS OF 1948 CELEBRATING ITS 7 CLASS, THE CLASS O1993 AND THEY HAVE CSEN THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AS TH MARSHAL AND SHE WILL LEAD THEM TODAY. >> HARVARD COLGE WAS FUNDED IN 1636 RHT HERE ON THIS SPOT IN CAMBRID. IT WAS FOUNDED TO TRAIN MINISTERS FOR THE COLONY, BUTT WASN'T UNTIL 1638 THAT THE UNIVERSITYAD FUNDS TO PAY SCHOLARS. THE REASON THEY GOT THOSE FUNDS WAS JOHN HARVARD WAS A MINISTER IN CHARLESTOWN AND HE HAD NED INNGLAND AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY AND HE DIED AND LEFT HIS BOOKS TO THE "NEW COLLEGE" AND THE ELDERS THEN DECIDED TO NAME THIS COLLEGE HARVARD COLLE. THE FESTIVAL RITES HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE NCE 164 TWO RIGHT HERE ON THIS SPOT. IF YOU' ARE WONDERING WHY THE COLLEGE WAS STARTED IN 1638 IT'S BECAUSE THE FIR FOUR YEARS OF THE COLLEGE, NONE OF THE SCHOLARS HADDONE SUFFICIENT RK TO GRADUATE. SO162 WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF COMMENCENT. ERE WERE NINE GRADUATES THAT THERE WERE NO MORE -- NO ONE WAS READY TO GRADUATE AND THEN IN 1644. DURING THE AMERIN REVOLUTION CONTINENTAL TROOPS WERE HOUSED WAS BASICALLY CLOSED. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER COMMENCEMENT UNTIL1781 SO BILL THAT'S WHY EVEN THOUGH THIS IS HARVARD'S 380th YEART'S ONLY 367th COMMENCEMENT. >> MAKES SENSE AND I THINK WHEN IT ALL FIRST STARTED MANY OF THE PURIN LEADERS OF E MASSACHUSETTS COLONY HAD BEEN TRAINED AS MINISTERS AND THEY INSISTED IT WAS CRITICAL TO THE FOUNDATION OF E PURIT COLONY THAT THERE BE ONE TO TRAIN THE MINISTERS AND THE CHILDREN SO THAT'S WHERE IT ALL STARTED, THE 1642 AND THE FIRST COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES. COLLEGE, THE OFFICIALS OF THE COLONY WERE WORRIED THAT THE COLLEGE MIGHT NOT SURVE SO EACH TIME THIS YEAR, THE POLITICIANS, MINISTERS, MERCHANTS, FARMERS, OTHER ELDERS CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS TO CELEBRATE WITH THE GRADUATES, JOIN IN THEIR FEASTS AND ATHLETIC CONTESTS. IT WAS A WAY FOR THE LEADERS OF THE COLONY TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT TO THE YOUNG GRADUATES, A WAY OF TYINIT ALL TOGETHER. ALUMNI WERE INVITED TO ATTEN AND AS OF THE 17TH CENTURY, HARV HARVARD ALUMNI SOON OUTNUMBERED THE OTHER GUESTS. WH WAS YOUR ESTIMATED THIS MORNIN >> THERE WERE BETWEEN 35,000 AND 40,000ATTENDEES TO THE CEREMONIES. ONE OF THE REASONS I IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY TODAY AND WE HAD OU GRADUATES, THE 6900 STUDENTS WHO HAD COMPLETED THEI REQUIREMTS FOR STUDY AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES WERE HERE AS WELL AS PEOPLE FROM THE REUNION CLASSES AND HER ALUMNI FROM THE REGION WHO ATTEND HARVARD COMMENCEMENT THIS MORNING. BILL, MAYBE YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT THIS AFTERNOON DURING OUR MEETING? >> DURING THE AFTERNOONT'S REALLYHE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIAON SO IT WILL BE KICKED OFF BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE HARRD ALUMNI WHO S THE CLASS OF 1985 WHO VAK SERVEDAST YEAR AND THIS WILL BE HER FINAL EVENT AS PRESIDENT. SHE LL GIVE HER REMARK TRODUCE IMPORTANTLY GIVE THE ELECTION RESULTS R THE HAA DIRECTOR AND O. >> JOHN, WE SEE THE BEGINNING OF THE ALUMNI PROCEION. ON THE SCREEN TO THE RIGHT OF THE WHITE BUILDING YOU WILL SEE T THE STATUE OF JOHN HARVARD, THIS WA CREATED BY DANIEL FNCH THE WAS THE YE OF HIS BEQUEST, NOTT THE YEAR OF THE FOUNDING O HARVARD, BUT DANIEL CHESTER FRENCH THE HARVARD GRADUATE AND SCULPTOR CREATED THE STATUE. THEY RB THE TOE AS THEY WALK BY OF JOHN HARVARD, THE TOE OF HIS SHOE SO IF YOU GO BY THE STATUE YOU WILL SEE MOST OF IT IS DULL BROWN EXCEPT FOR THE TIPS OF HIS SHOES WHICH ARE SHINY BRONZE BECAUSE OF THE RUBBING OF THE STUDENTS. >> I THINK YOU MIGHT HEAR IN THE BAGROUND THE HARVARD BAND HAS STARTED TO PLAY WHICH SIGNALS THE COLLECTION OF THE AMNI AND THEY'RE STARTINGTO MARCH INTO THE THEATER AS WAY TO KICKOFF THE PROCESSION OF OUR ALUMNI. IT ADDED TO BE A SENSE OF THE FESTIVITIES TO PLAY BECAUSE THEY I HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THEM LAST GHT AS WELL PERFORMING IN A CONCERT HERE IN THE THEATER. THIS IS A GREAT MOMENT WHENUR ALUMNI HAVE ASSEMBLED IN THE OLD YARD ANDOW THE BAND, WE CAN SEE THE BAND RCHING IN. >> WHAT YOU SEE NOW IN THE SEATS ARE THE EMPTY SEATS AT THE TETER. >> THEY TURN THE CORNER AT THE STEPS OF WIDENER LIBRY. AND MARCHING NOW YOU CAN SEE THEM COMG DOWN THE AISLE. BILL I COME HOME FROM OHIO STATE WHERE THE BAND IS THE BEST IN THE LAND. THE HARVARD BAND IS MUCH MORE SERIS STUDENTS WHO LIKE TO PLAY AN INSUMENT IN THEIR SPARE TIME SO IT'S MUCH MORE SUAL BUT NO LESS FERVENT THAN OTHER BANDS YOU MIGHT KNOW ABOUT. >> AS THE BAND GETS LOUDER I WILL CONTINUE WITH THE PROCEEDINGS THAT WE SHOULD SET PEOPLE UP TO PECT. AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ELECTIONS FOR OVERSEER, THEN WILL HAVE THE PRESENTATION OF TH HARVARD MEDALS, SO THREE OF OUR DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI WILL BE PRESENTED WITHMEDALS, TODAY, AND THEN IMPTANTLY THE COMMENCEMENTSPEAKER TODAY, JOHN MORE BACKGROUND ON JOHN LEWIS FOR THOSE WHOREN'T FAMILIAR. ADDRESS HAVING RECEIVED AN NT HONORARY DEGREE IN 2012 HE IS GIVING AN ADDRESS DAY FOR US. WE WIL END UP WITH A REPORT FROM PRESIDENT DUE FAUST AND THIS WILL BE HER FINAL REPORT TO ALUMNI AS WE WILL WELCOME ON JULY 1ST LAWRENCE BACOW AS THE PRESIDENT. WE WILL THANK DREW FAUST FOR HER ELEVEN YEARS OF SERCE TO THE IVERSITY AND WE WILL ALL END BY SINGING FAIR HARVARD AND THEN WE WILL DISPERSE. >> THANK YOU, BILL. AS THEY MARCH IN YOU MIGHT UNDERGRADUAT DORM TO HERS WHICH WE CALL-- DORMITORIES WHICH WE CALL HSES AS WELL AS THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS FROM HARVARD. TO YOUR RIGHT ON THE SCREENE SEE -- LET'S SEE, WHICH ONE IS THAT? TO THELEFT, THE ROOK -- >> THE DENTAL SCHOOL. >> DENTAL SCHOOL. TO T RIGHT THAT LOOKSIKE THE DIVINITY SCHOOL. AND TH WE HAVE VARIOUS OUSE, LEOPARD HOUSE AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS BUT THE HOUSES ARE NAMED AFTER FORMER PRESIDENTS OF HARVARD AND THEY CHOSE THEM SUCCESSIVELY UNTIL THEY GOT TO A MAN BY THE NAME OF HOAR, AND THEN HARVARD DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT A HOUSE BY THAT NAME. SO THEY STOPED. NEXT IS THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH >> WITH THCROSS. EXERCISE THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR AND IN 1936 THEY WERE VERY FEST ALUMI OF 11 S PRESENT, THEY SAY. THE FAR LONGER TRAIN OF GHOSTS THAT ACCOMPANIED THE MEN THAT WERE BEFORE US, THE COLLEGE STATE, THE LONG WINDING AIN E REACHING BACK INTO ETERNITY AND HERE WE ARE NEARL 300 ARS LATER, BILL, AND WE SEE THE LONG, WINDING TRAIN REACHING BACK INTO ETERNITY. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BILL, TE GOOSEBUMPS. >>HANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING THAT TO US BECAUSE EMMERSON CONGERS UP GHOSTS AND EAU MOATS A STRONG SENSE CONTINUITY. THAT'S WHAT THIS PAGENTRYS ABT, THE PEOPLE AND THE IDEAS THAN THE TIME. EVEN FAIR HARVARD REFERS TO TRUTH ON LIGHT'S RIVER FLOATS BY SO IT'S IN THIS PLACE, THE THEATER -- WE'RE HEARING THE BAGPIPES PLAY >>ND WE SEE THEANNER OF THE OLDEST CLASSES FROM 1940 TO 1962 ANDE HEAR THE BAGPIPES. >> RIGHT UP THE CENTE AISLEE SEE THE 25th REUNION CLASS BEG LED BY THE PIPER, A HALLIDAY, THE CLASS OF 1981, THE PIPER LEADING THE CLASS OTHE 25th REUNION BANN. THOSE WHO HADOT GRADUATED FROM HARVARCAME EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO SUPPORT THE GRADUATES AND THEY INVITEDACK GRADUATES N 44 TO COME BACK AND CELEBRATE. SO ACTUALLY HARVA INVENTED THE PNOMENON OF COLLEGE REUNIONS. >> THE CLASS OF 1926 IS REPRESENTED RE TODAY. WE GO FAR BACK AND AS WE CAN SEE THAT THE CHAIRS ARE STARTING TO FILL. THE PAGENTRY CONTINUES TO BUILD >> THE PAGENTRY AND THE NOISE I! ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOMENTS COMES FROM PETER GOMES WHO SERVED THE SCHOOLOR MORE TH FORTY YEARS AND HE WROTE SOMEONE OBSERNG THE CASUAL DIGNIT THE DAY REMARKED THAT COMMENCEMENT IS MORE LIKE A LAWN PARTY THAN A BALLET AND A LESS CHARITABLE OBSERVER SUGGESTED THAT THE VAST ASSEMBLY IN RMATION IN THE OLD YARD WAS VEY MH KE THAT WONDERFULLY CHAOTIC GAME OF CROCHET WITH FLAMINGOS IE IN WONDERLA. THEN WE REALIZE IT'S HARE FREED WHERE PERFORMY HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO THE RANK OF AN ORIGINAL SIN, THAT IT WORKS TO PATIENCE AND GOODWILL AND THE GENERAL SENSE THAT COME WHAT MAY THE DAY IS TO BE ENJOYED. SO WE EXPECT A HAPPY AND CHAOTIC SCENE THIS AFTERNOON, BILL, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE WON'T HAVE WHAT THEYAD IN THE LATE 18TH CEURY COMMENCEMENT FESTIVITIES BUT ELEPHAN WERE BROUGHT IN FROM PROVIDENCE, I'MOT SURE WHY BUTEOPLE DRESSED AS MERMAIDS A MUMMIES TO CELEBRATE COMMENCEMENT. I'M SORRY WE WON'T SEE ANY TODAY. ANOTHER LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT HARVARD IS THAT I AM A RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE AND IN HARVD'S CHARTE SAYS THAT ANY ARE NOT HIS OR HER LIVESTOCK IN HARVARD YARD SO ONE YEAR I'M GOING TO SHOW UP WITH A GOAT AND GRAYS IT ON THE HARVARD YARD GRASS AND IT'S LEGAL SO THE SHERF WOULD NOT ARREST M AND FINALLY I WANT TSAY THAT THERE IS FREE BEER IN HARVARD YARDODAY. LONGER COMING TO COMEMENT O HARV HARVARDED -- HARVARD DECID WAY TO ATTRACT PEOPLE WOULD BE FREE BEER SO YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR GLASS OF BEER. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TOOME TO COMMENCEMENT. MAYBE YOU TELL US ABOUJOHN LEWIS, TODAY'S COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER? >> I WILL START BY SAYING WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON SCREEN RIGHT NOW, WE JUST LEFT THE STAGE, AND JOHN LEWIS WILL BE SITTING THERE AND TALKING TODAY AND GIVING US HIS VIEWPOINTS AS A LONG-TIME CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER IN THE U.S. I THINKHIS HISTORY IS WELL KNOWN BY MANY BUT HE HAS REPRESENTED GEORGIA'S FIFTH DISTRICT SINCE 1987. HE IS T SON OF A SHARE CROPPER AND A GRADUATE FROM OF A BAPTIST COLLEGE AND THE SEMINARY. HE ORGANIZED SIT-INS AT SEGREGATED LUNCH COUNTERS AND PARTICIPATED IN THE FREEDOM RIDE THAT TOOK PLACE IN TH HE ALSO IS NOTED FOR HAVING DELIVERE A KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE MARCH O WASHINGTON IN 1963. IN ADDITION TO THAT HE WAS ONE OF THE LEADERS OFHE MARCH ON SELMA WHICH IS KNOWN NOW AS "BLOODY SUNDAY" AND HE ENDED UP WITH ARACTURED SKULL AND CONTINUED HISURSUIT OF NONVIOLENCE PROTEST, AND HE HAS THENAACP MEDAL, THE JOHN F. KENNEDY PROFILE IN COURAGE AWARD AND THE LBJ LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL AWARD. TO CAP IT O THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM. SO A DISTINGUISHED AMERICAN WHO HAS ALSO MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIS AND WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM HERE TODAY AND I'M INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT . >> I WOULD AGREE, BILL, WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE HIM WITH US TODAY AS SOON AS HE EMERGES WE WILL HAVE A SHOT HIM. WE'RE WATCHING THE 25th REUNION . LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE ABOUT TO FINISH AND AFTE THE 25th PRESIDENT OF HAARD, DREW E THE FAUST, OUR CORPORATION MEMBERS WHICH IS EFFECTIVE OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, OUROVERSEERS AS WELL AS OUROMMENCEMENT SPEAKER JOIN US HERESOR TS AFTEOON >> WE CAN SEE THEM COLLECTING ON THE STAGE. >> YES, AND THE MEN ARE WEARING TOP HATS AND THE WOMEN HAVET HATS WH FEATHERS AND SOME OF THEM HE FASCINATORS. IT'S A MUCH SMALLER HAT THAT IS PERCHED THE SIDE OF ONE'S HEAD >> SO WE MIGHT HAVE SEENHAT AT A ROYAL WE HADDING IN. >> YOU SAW MY AT TAL WEDDING, IN FACT. AGAIN IN THE 1840s AT THE SAME TIME THEY INTRODUCED BEER THEY CREATE A COMMITTEE, A I AM A MEMBER AND BILLS A MEMBER AND IF YOU LOOK ON MY LAPEL YOU CAN SEE THE HAPPY OBSERVANCE OF THE COMMENCEMENT COMMITTEE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "TOP HA" THE FIRST YEARS OF THE COMMITTEE THERE RE ONLY MEN HOWEVER IN THE 10s, T HAPPY COMMITTEE INVITED WOMEN LIKE ME TO JOIN AND MEN WOULD WEAR TOP HATS BUT WOMEN WOULD NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF HATS TO WEAR. E MORNING I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON DUTY AT 6:30 IN THE MORNING BUT MY TICKET SAID HE COULD HAVE ENTRANCE TO THE YARD AT 6:45. THE GUARDS MAD ME WAIT AND ALL THESE MEN IN THEIR TOP HATS ON THE COMMITTEE LIKE ME GOT TO WALK WITHOUT A TICKET AND I WAS BOUND AND DERMINED THAT TH WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. S VOILLA I FOUND THIS CRION HAT TO WHIC I ADDED BLACK SINCE THEN ALLOWED ME ACCESS TO THYARD. SO MANY WOM CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED ON THE COMMITTEE AND SAID WHERE N I GET A HAT LIKE THA AND I FOUND A MILLINER IN JAMAICA PLANES HERE IN BOSN WHO HAS CREATETHE HATS YOU SEE OTHER WOMEN WEARING TODAY. WE SERVICE USHERS ON COENCEMENT, WE KNOW WHERE THE RESTROOMS ARE, WHERE PEOPLE CAN GET WATER, IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTI THEY CAN COME TO THOSE OF US WHO ARE WEARING HATS AND ASK A QUESTION AND WE WILL HELP THEM. SO WE BELIEVE THAT WEO CONTRIBUTE TO PEOPLE'S HAPPINESS ON COMMENCEMENT DAY. IT'S BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR HARVARD, BILL, MAYBE YOU COULD GIVE US THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR? >> I THINK A MAIN HIGHLIGHT, NANCY, IS THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING TODAY DREW FAUST STEPPING DOW AS PRESIDENT OF HARVARD. IT'S NOT AIGHLIGHT IN THE SENSE THAT SHE I A BELOVED PRESIDENT OF HARVARD BUT HER PLAN IS TO STEP DOWN JUNE 30th AND ON JULY 1ST SHE WILL BE, I'M PLEASED TO REPORT, LAWRENCE BACKOW WILL BECOME HARVARD'S 39th PRESIDENT. IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT DUE FAUST WAS THE FIRST SINCE -- DREW FAUST WAS THE FIRST SINCE THE 17th CENTURY WHO DIDN'T HAVE A HARVARD DEGREE. LARRY BACKOW HAS THREE. WE WELCOME OUR PRESIDENT-ELECT TO OUR CELEBRATN TODAY AND HOPEFULLY ONEF THE REASONS WE CAN CELEBRATE DREW FAUST IS SHE HAD A STRAIGHTFORWARD APPROACH TO HOWHE WANTED TOUILD THE UNIVERSITY AND THAT WAS TO BRING TOGETHER THE BEST STUDENTS IN THE WORLD AND LEARN IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY HAD THE BEST TEACHERS IN E WORLD DOING RESEARCH, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH THE OPPORTY FOR A TRANSFORMATIV EVENT IN LIFE. I FOUND IT INTERESTING, NANCY, THAT IN HER BACCALAUREATE ADDRESS TO THE SENIOR CLASS SHE MADE EARLIER THIS WEEKHE HAD A TWIST ON THAT WHEN SHE SAID, WHEN THE CLASS OF 201 CE T CONVOCATION, THEY WERE PROMISED THIS TRANSFORMATIVE EVENT OR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSFORMATION. WHAT DREW FAUST SAID WAS THAT PROMISE MIGHT HAVE BEEN TLIFRD ON BUT EVEN MORE SO THE TRANSFORMATION WAST JUST IN THE PRSO THEMSELVES, IT WAS IN E WORLAROUND THEM AND TIR AFFECT ON THE WORLD AROUND THEM AND THAT IS A PROFOUND ELEMENT OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY. WEE BRINGING ALUMN FROM ALL OVER THE WOR TOGETHER TODAY, OVER 300,000 ALUMNI FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD D TODAY WE WI HAVE -- I LOOKS LIKE THE WAY THE CROWD IS FILLING UP WE WILL HAVE WELL OVER 30,000 IN TERCENTENARY THEATER TODAY. >> AS WE SEE THE DIGNITARIES pC SHOULD TALK ABOUT THE GRADUATION ITSELF. IT'S A SEVERAL-DAY EVENT. YESTERDAY WAS KNOWN AS CLASS DAY WHERE THE DIVIDUAL SCHOOLS HAVE THEIR OWN SPEAKERS FOR EXAMPLE, HARVARD COLLEGE FOR THE SENIOR CLASSAY HAD AN AUTHOR SPEAK WHO IS FROM NIGERIA, AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHORND SHE SPOKE TO THE SENIOR CLASS AT THE KENNEDY SCHOOL, OHIO GOVERNOR JOHN CAKICAK SPOKE TO THE CLASS NEIL BAYER SPOKE, AT THE BUSINESS SCHOOL THEY HAD CARLA HARRIS A AT THE SCHOOL OF WHO WAS A COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER MAYBE 25 30 YEARS AGO, SHE WAS SPEAKING BECAUSE SHE HAS STARTED SOMETHING CALLED "THE CLIMATE JUSTICE" FOUNDATION. AT THE LAW SCHOOL, JEFF FLAKE, THE RETIRING U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA WAS THE SPEAKER. THE DESIGN SCHOOL, THE ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL WE HAD PALO ANNELLI THE CURE RATER FROM THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART IN NEW YORK AND THE FORM M MOORE HOUSE COLLEGE PRESIDENT SPOKE AND AT THE DENTAL SCHOOL WE HAD LAUREN NAZARALA AND TOMORROAT T HAVE HRY RODHAM CLINTON AS THE RADCLIFF MEDALIST. SO THERE WERE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS. ENEVER HARVARD INVITES YOU TO COME SPEAK YOU COME. SO WE HAVE THE LUXURY OF HAVING WORLD-RENOUNED PEOPLE SPEAK TO OUR GRADUATES. THE 35th REUNION CLASS IS COMG DOWN THE CENTER AISLE, TEN YEARS OLDER, THE 25th REUNION CLASS CAN LOOK AND SAY THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK LIKIN TEN MORE YEARS. THEY WILL NOT BE SITTING ON THE STAGE THEY WILL BE FILLING OUT THE SEATS IN THE AUDIENCE. >> NANCY THERE IS AN ELEMENT ON THE STAGE TODAY, OTHER HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS WHO WER PRESENWITH THEIR DEGREES THIS MORNING WHICH GIVES THEM THE RIGHTS OF ANY DEGREE HOLDER AT HARVARD AND THO HONORARY DEGREES WERE GIVEN OUT THIS MORNG. STARTED IN 53.ADITION THAT WHEN THE FIRST ONE WAS OFFERED TO THEEMINENT SCIENTIST OF THE 18TH CENTURY,HO HAPPENED TO BE AN AMERICAN, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AND WHEN HE TOOK OFF FOR PHILADELIA WHERE HE MADE HIS EXPERIMENTS WITH ELECTRICITY HE CONTINUED ON WITH A LIGHT THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT FOR AMERICA LIFE. THIS HONORARY DEGREE WAS AWARDED LONG BEFORE FRANKLIN STARTED HIS DIPLOMATIC AND POLITICAL CAREER FORHICH MOST OF US REMEMBER HIM TODAY. TWO CENTURIES LATER THE FIRST WOMAN TO BE AWARDED AN HONORARY RADCLIFF CLASOF 1904, SHE WAS AWARDED HR HONORARY DEGE IN 1955. THE INSCRIPTION READ "FROM A STILL, DARK WORLD SHE HAS BROUGHTS LIGHT AND SOUND. OUR LIVES AR RICHER FOR HER FAITH AND HER EXAMPLE." SO NANCY, AS THE BUZZ SRTS TO ACCUMULATE IN HERE, WE'RE HEARING THE 25th REUNION CLASS ON STAGE NEXT TO US, WE'RE GETTING SENSE OF EXCITEMENT, IT'S GROWING, MAYBE YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT TODAY'S HONORANTS. >> BEFORE I THAT IT'S EXCITING TO THINK ABOUT FRANKLIN RECEIVING HIS DEGREE FOR ELECTR BEME THE STATESMAN WE KNOW HIM FOR AND GEORGE WASHINGTON, JEFFERSON, ADAMS ALSO RECEIVED HONORARY DEGREES IN THE 18TH CENTURY.TODAY OUR HONORARY RECI DEGREES INCLUDE SHIRLEY CHISOLM, DOWN AT MIT, RITA DOVE, THE FORMER U.S. POET LAUREATE AND HARVEY FINEBERG A FORMER PROVOST RECEIVED A DOCTOR OF SCIENCE TODAY, HE WAS A HARVARD PROVOST, FORMER DEANF THE HARVD PUBLIC HEALTH AND RICARDO ESCOBAR, FORMER PRESIDENT OF CHILE, TWL YASHGS A -- TWYLA THAT WERE AND A FEW OTHERS RECEIVED THEIR DEGREES. BILL, MAYBE YOU COULD TELL US ABOUT OUR HARVARD MEDALISTS TODAY. >> WE WL HAVE THREE ALUMNI REPRESENTED ON THE STAGE THIS HARVARD MEDAL FOR THEIR DED THE EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE TO HARVARD, ROBERT COLES, WHO HAS AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGRE AND SCHOOL GRAD OF 1977 ANALICE WELCH, A TIRELESS WORKER FOR ALUMNI ACROSS THE BOARD. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGSHAT H IT'S GIVEN TO CITIZENS OF THE UNIVERSITY, NOT JUST THECOLLEGE THAT WE CONVENE TODAY, IT IS THE UNIVERSITY THAT WE CONVENE AND THE HARRD MEDAL IS SIGNIFICANT FOR ESE ALUMNI WHO HAVE REALLY PROVIDED EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE IN THEIR OWN WAY, ROBERT COLES WAS INSPIRATIONAL IN HIS WORK WITH PHILLIPS OOKHOUSE, ROBERT SHARPIRO, AN OVERSEER, HELPING HARE FREED MOVE INTO THE 21ST CENTURY A A.C.WELCH AS WE KNOW HER, A TRUE ALUMNI WITH HEART AND BRINGS DECAD OF EXPERIENCE TO HER CONTRIBUTIONS AS AN ALUM INTEGRATING HOW WOMEN HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO ALUMNI AT HRD AND IT HASN'T BEEN EASY OVER THE N ADVOCATE FOR HOW WOMEN HAVE BEEN JOINED TOGETHER AND REPRESENTING WOMEN WELL WITHIN T HARVARD COMMUNITY. >>S BILL MENTIONED, WE HAD A SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED SEARCH FOA NEW PRESIDENT, LARRY BACOW, AND WE HAD A VY SUCCESSFUL FUND-RAISING, CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, AND WE HAVE HAD NEW FACULTY AND SOME RETIRING, AND OUR OLD FRIEND TAMARA ROGERS, DEVELOPMENT IS RETIRING AT THE END OF THIS YEAR SO IT'S A YEAR IN TRANSITION ANDHERE WAS OTHER FACILITIES FOR THE FUTURE OF HARVARD, AND THERE HAS BEEN A ABOUT THE NEW TAX LEGISLATION, THAT MEANS THAT HARVARD WILL HAVE TO PAY $35 MILLION A YEAR OFAXES TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THIS YEAR. I WANT TO SAY FOR A MINUTE PEOPLE ASK ME WHY HARVARD'S COMMENCEMENT IS ON THSDAY, WHY NOT A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS? THIS PRACTICE DATES FROM ABOUT 150, 180EARS AGO WHEN THERE WERE SPORTS ACTIVITIES INCLUDED AT COMMENCEMENT AND YALE HAD THEIR COMMENCEMENT ON TUESDAYS ANDHERE WERE SPORTS ACTIVITIES ON WEDNESDAYS, HARVARD ON THURSDAY AND THEN THE CREW, HARVARD-YALE CREW RACES WERE ON LONGER HAVE THOSE CRE RACES WE KEPT THE TRADITION OF HAVING COMMENCEMENT ON THURSY. BILL MAYBE YOU COULD TELL US ABOUT THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION? >> SURE. AS WE SEE THE GROUPS ASSEMBLING HAVING PROCESSED INTO THE YARD U SAW ON TH RIGHT HAND PART OF THE SCREEN --OW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE STAGE AS THE DIGNITARIES ACCUMULATE ERE, HARVARD REPRESENTS A GLOBAL FROM BOTH THE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUA PROGRAMS AND IT INCLUDES WITH THE AMNI ASSOCIATION, PUTTINGN REUNIONS, CLASS EVENTS, COORDINATES THE CLASS SECRETARIES AND TREASURERS, WHIF THE GRADUATING CLASSES AT HARVARD AND ALSO THE HARVARD CLUB THERE ARE OVER 180 HARVARD CLS AROUND THWORLD THAT WE ENCOUGE ALL ALUMNI TO SEEK OUT AND JOIN, AND IT INCLUDES CLUBS ALL OR THE RLD AND IT INCLUDES SHARED DIGITAL WAY OF CONNTING, SO BY INTEREST AS OPPOSD TO JUS LOCATION. CONTINUING EDUCATIN THROUGH ALU BIG PART OF WHAT THE HARVARD ALUMNI ASSIATION DOES AS WELL A SEMINAR AND THEN AN IMPORTANT PART, NANCY AND YOU D I PARTICIPATE AND WE HOPE THAT OUR NEW ALUMS WILL PARTICIPATE IN TERVIEWING COLLEGEOR APPLICANTS TO THE COLLEGE AND THATAPPENS ASART OF THE PROCESS FOR THE ADMSIONS THAT APPLY, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT APPLY AND E ALUM INTERVIEWS THOSE STUDENTS AND IT HAS A PROUND IMPACT ON TH COMMUNITY AND WE'RE HOPING AN IMPACT FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE BEING REPRESENTED WELL TOUGH THOSE INTERVIEWS. ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE INTERVIEWS THAT'S SO INTERESTING IS THEREWAS SOMETHING LIK 42,000 APPLICANTSO HARVARD THIS YEAR AND EVERY SINGLE ANT . SO THE ALUMNI NETWORK O INTERVIEWERS AROUND THE WORLD IS CRITICAL TO OUR ADMISSIONS FUNCTION. THE COLLE FIRML BELIEVES THAT ICANTS SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH SOMEONE WHO REPRESENTS HARVARD, REGARDLESS OF THEIR CHANCES OF GETTING IN. SO IT'S REALLY A WAY TO INTRODUCE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO HARVARD. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING TO STOP, EVERY YEAR IT SEEMS THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND MORE APPLICANTS BUT THE COMPETITION TO GET INTO HVARD HAS NEVER BEEN GREATER AND IT WILL COINUE TO EXCEED. >> THAT'S GREAT. NOW, IF I CAN CE LOOK AT HARVARD AS A GLOBAL ENTITY, IT CAN BE SAID THE SUN NEVER SETS ON HARVARD, MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLDARE ACTIVELY INVOED IN ALL SORT OF WAYS THROUGTHE WORLD BUILDING ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE, LEADING WELFARE ISSUE WORKING IMPROVE GOVERNANCE, AND FIGHTING DISEASES. THAT WHAT WE WISH FOR OUR GRADUATES, THE ONES WHO CELEBRATE TODAY TO FIND TIR PLACE AND THEIR WAYO CONTRIBUTE. NOW, HARVARD HAS A SPECIFIC PROGM CALLED THE GLOBAL PUBLIC SERVICE MONTH AND AT 81 SITES AROUND THE WORLD AND THIS IS A WAY FOR ALUMNI TO BE SPECIFICALLY INVOLVED TOGR IN PROVIDING PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE QUOTES ABOUT TO WHOM MUCH IS GIN MUCH IS EXPECTED. THE OTHER THING IS WE ARE HOPING AND EXPECT OUR FELLOW ALUMNI TO INTO THE WORLD ANDO GOOD THINGS, CREATE GOOD THINGS. SO I THINK IF WE LOOKED AT THAT, NONE OF US COULD POSSIBLY DO THESE THIN INDIVIDUALLY AND I THINK THAT'S THE BENEFIT OF HAVING OUR HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS TT COLLECTIVELY WE CAN MAINTAIN AND CONTRIBUTE TO A WORLDWIDE HARVARD COMMUNITY, THROUGH REUNIONS 'RE SEEING TODAY AND WE'RE SEEING THEM EXEMPLIFIED TODAY AND YOU CAN SEE CLASS GOING BACK TO 19 ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN AND UP TO THE 50th REUNION TO THINGS THAT ARE MOREPECIFICALLY PUBLIC SERVICE ORIENTED, HABITAFOR HUMANI, MISSION HILL AND OTHER TYPES OF PUBLIC SERVICE PROJECTS THAT MANYTUDENTS BECAME INVOLVE IN AS MEMBERS OF THE PHILLIPS BROOKS HOUSE OR OTHER ENTITIES ILE THEY WERE UDERGRADUATES. >> LOOKING AT THE STEPS OF THE WIDENER LIBRARY WHERE THE PRESIDENT'S SECTION IS GETTING READY TO COME DOWN THE CENR AISLE. I THOUGHT I WLD TALK ABOUT THE LIBRARY, SO HARRY ELKINS WIDENER WAS A GRADUATE OF THE CLASS OF 1912 AND IN 1915 HE HAD THE UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE THA HE HAD TRAVELED TO LONDON WITH HIS MOTHER, BROTHER AND SISR TO PURCHASE A FIRST FOLIO OF SHAKESPEARE, HE HAD AN EXTENSIVE LIBRARY COLLEION AND HE HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO COME BACK ON THE TITANIC, AND HE HIS BROTHER PERISHED, HIS MOTHER AND SISTER SURVIVED. LEFT ALL HIS BOOKS TO HARVARD HOUSING FOR THEM BE FOUND ABLE BECAUSE IT WAS A TINY LIBRARY BUT THERE WERE TOO MANY BOOKS, STORED IN VARIOUS BASEMENTS SO COLLEGE THE LIBRARY THAT WE NOW NAME AFTER HIM. THERE WERE FOUR CONDITIONS TO THAT GIFT. THE FIRST CONDITION WAS THAT THE WILL ALWAYS BE A MEMORIAL TO HARRY AND SO WHEN YOU GO INTO THE LIBRARY YOU WALK UP THE GRAND STEPS THERE IS A MEMORIAL TO HARRY WITH ALLF HIS BOOKS INCLUDING A GUUTENBERG BIBLE A EVERY DAY THERE ARE FRESH AND ANOTHERONDITION IS NOT A E BRICK BE REMOVED SO WHEN TH WANTED TO BUILD A PASSAGE WAY WITH THE RARE BOOK LIBRARY THEY HAD TO BUILD IT THROUGH THE WINDOWS. ALSO IT COULNOT BE HIGHER THAN THE FOUR STORIES THAT W SEE TODAY SO WHEN HARVARD WANTEDTO EXPA THEY EXPANDED UERGROUND SIX STORIES AND THE FINAL HARVARD COLLE NEEDED TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BILL BUT I HAD TO PASS A SWIMMING TEST BEFORE I COULD GRADUATE >> I DID, TOO, AT THE INDOOR pA >> MINE WAS AT RADCLIFF. >> OH, BOY. THAT REQUIREMENT WAS DALLOWED WHEN THE AMERICANS FOR DISABILITIES ACT WAS PASSED IN THE 1980s, SO THAT'S THE STORY OF WIDENER D WE'RE LOOKINGN THAT DIRECTION TO WAIT FOR THE PRESIDENT'S ENTEROUGE TO COME FORWARD. >> PEOPLE ASK WHY IS THE CONFENCE CALLED THE IVY LEAGUE AND LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IT'S BECAUSE OF THE IVY ON THE WALLS, BUT THE REALITY IS, IT STARTED WITH HARVARD, YALE,RINCETON AND COLUMBIA AND IT WAS KNOWN BY ROMAN NUMERALS AS THE 4 OR IV. AND THAT MORPHED INTO THE SEVEN SCHOOLS THAT NOW MAKEUP THE IVY LEAGUE THAT NOW PARTICIPATE IN ATHLETIC CONTESTS, AND IT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF HARVD'S LIFE THERE ARE 42 SPORTS SUPPORTEDY HARVARD, WICH MAKES IT THE LARGEST NUMBER OF SPORTS SUPPORTED IN DIVISION I SCHOOLS IN AMICA. >> WE CAN SEE THE PRESIDT'S GROUP COMING TOWARD -- DOWN THE CENTER AISLE TOWARD THE STAGE. THEY'RE STILL AT THE BACK IN FRONT OF WIDENER, SO THE AFTERNOON CEREMONIES LL START MOMENTARILY. >> NANCY YOU MENTIONED ABOUT RADCLIFF DAY AND HILLARY CLINTON SPEAKING, IS THERE SOME BACKGRND YOU CAN PROVIDE ON AT? >> RIGHT, SO IN 1879 SEVERAL PROFESSO, HARVARD PROFESSORS AS WELL AS SOME OF THE PROMINENT MEN IN THE CITY OF BOSTON WANTED A WAY TO EDUCATE THEIR DAUGHTERS. AT THE TIME THRE WERE NO WOMEN ADMITTED TO HARVARD SO WAT THESE MEN DECIDED TO DO WAS HIER HARVARD PROFESSORS TO TEACH THEIR DAUGHTERS AND THEY STARTED AN OANIZATION CALLED FOR THE SOCIETY FOR THE COLLEGIATE INSTRCTION OF WOMEN AND THEN COUPLE OF DECADES LATER THEY DIDED TO FOUND A COLLEGE FOR WOMEN STILL TO HIRE HARVARD PROFESSORS T GIVE T SA LECTURES TO WOMEN THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY GIVEN TO MEN, TY NAMED IT RADCLIFF COLLEGE AFTER ANNE RADCLIFF AN ENGLISH WOMAN WHO IN 1643 GAVETHE FIRST SCHOLARSHIP HARVARD SO IN 1879 WE HAD THE SOCIETY FOR COLLEGIATE INSTRUCTION TO WOMEN AND THEN A COUPLE DECADES LATER RADCLIFF COLLEGE AND THEN DURING WORLD WAR II SO MANY PROFESSORS WENT TO SERVE IN THEAR THAT THEY DECIDED MAYBE IT WAS OKAY TO HAVE MEN AND WOMEN SIT IN THE SAME LECTURE HALL SO THEY HAD JOINT CLASSES IN THE0s AND AFTER THE WAR THEY CONTINUED THAT PRACTICE. IN THE 70s THE DO AND BY THE '80S EVERYTHING WAS IN FACT COED. AT THE 90s IT WAS DECIDED THAT RADCLIFF COLLE SHOULD BECOME THE RADCLIFF INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY AND DREW FAUST OUR CUENT PRESIDENT WAS THE FIRST DEAN OF THE RADCLIFF STITUTE. SO IOVE THE FACT THAT THE FIRST SCHOLARSHIP AT HARVARD WAS GIVEN BY AAN AND WE TODAY HONOR TT GT AND HER NAME IN THE WORK OF THE RADCLIFF INITUTE. IT IS AN INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDIES, INVITES SCHOLARS AND ARTISTS FROMLL OVER THE WORLD TO SPEND A YEAR AT HARVARD, TAKING CLASSES ORXPERIENCE ANY WAY WE CAN. NOW WE SEE THE PRIDENT, THE CHIEF MASL, THE GOVERNOR OF RHODESLAND, THE PRESIDENT, AND FELLOWS, WE CALL THE MEMBERS OF THEVARD CORPORATN, OUR TRUSTEES, WE CALL THEM THE FELLOWS. YOU SEE THE PRESIDENT, THE FELLOW THE CHIEF MARSHAL, THE PROVOST -- >>I THINK WE GET A GOOD SENSE IN THAT PICTURE WHAT' HAPPENING. THERE IS AN EXCITEMENT STARTING TO BUILD, I CAN FEEL IT NOW. >> THERE GOES THE BELL, THAT MEANS IT'S 2:30. >> SO WE WILL WATCH FOR SUSAN MORRIS- >> THERE YOU SEE PRESIDEN FAUST IN A WHITE JACKET. FOLLOW BY LARRY BACOW AND JACK RIDDEN THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. THEY ARE COMING UP ON STAGE AND AS SOON AS THEYGET SETTLED WE WILL START THE AFTERNOON. THE AFTERNOON PROGRAM. >> PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS JOINING THEIR GRADUATES TODAY, ANDE SEEUSAN MORRIS NOVICK PREPARING TO START THE MEETING AND WE CAN SEE THE TERNTENARY THEATER FILLING IN NOW AND NANCY T'S A SENSE OF EXTEMENT. >> THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON W WILL HAVE PEOPLE JOINING US, THE GRADUATES, THO WHO GRADUATED THIS MORNING WENT OFF TO EITHER THEIR SCHOOL OR THE DORMITORY IN ORDER TO HAVE LUNCH AND AFTER THEIR LUNCHES WHERE THEY WERE ACTUALLY HANDED THEIR DEGREES THEY WILL BE COMING BACK TO STEN TO THE AFTERNOON SPEAKERS. SOME OF THE STUDENTS HAV ARRIVED BUT MANY OF THEMRE STILL TO ARRIVE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON WE WILL HAVE PEOPLE JOINING US AT THE CEREMO I'M SURE, LL, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A BAUTIFUL DAY ERE WILL BEIN FACT, MORE PEOPLE TODAY THAN THERE USUALLY ARE HERE AT THE COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES, BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS IT SUNNY, BUT IT'S THE PERFECT TEMPERATURE, MUST BE IN THE HIGH 60s, IT'REALLY THE PERFECT COMMENCEMENT DAY. [BELLS RINGI] >> HVARD CALLS IT A COMMENCEMENT NOT A GRADUATION AND THAT SIGNIFIES THE SPIRIT OF MOVING ON, COMMENCING IN LIFE. IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT IS UNIQUELY HARVARD. IT'S IMPORTANT IN HOW WE HAVE THE CONTINUIT FOR OUR ALUMS AS THEY GO INTO THE WORLD AND COMECK TO HARVARD AND NOW WE'RE SSING ONO THE CLASS OF 2018 THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CARRY ON THE INSTITUTION OF HARVARD R STUDENTS OF E FUTURE. >> THERE ARE 6900 GRADUATES TODAY FROM THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS AS WELL AS THE HARVARD COLLEGE AND THIS MORNING THEY WERE WELCOMED INTO THE FELLOWSHIP OF EDUCATED INDIVIDUALS. IT USED TO BE FELLOWSHIP OF EDUN D WOMEN AND NOW IT'S THE FELLOWSHIP OF EDUD INDIVIDUALS. WE'RE SEEING A SHOT NOW THE SEE THE REGALIA, THE E, YOU CAN FASCINATORS, THE HATS, NANCY, YOURCREATIONS, AND WE CAN S PEOPLE TAING AND PREPARING TO LISTEN TO JOHN LEWIS AND DREW FAUST, PRIMARILY. AS WE LISTEN TO THE BELLS TOLLING AS THE BACKDROP OF HE STAGE AND THBOOK END. WIDENER LIBRARY AT ONE END AND AT THE OTHER END IS MEMORIAL CHURCH AND IT'S THERE THE BELLS ARE RINGING NOW. >> WE CAN SEE SUSAN NOVICK IN THE WHITE ITE AT THE PODIUM. SHE WILL BE CONDUCTING THE MEETING OF THE HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. THE FIRST PRESIDENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WAS JOHN QUINCY ADAMS OF THE 1840s AND WE LIKE TO SAY HIS SERVICE OF THE UNIT STATES PREPARED HIM FOR HIS SERVICE AS PRENT OF THE HARVAR ALUMNIASSOCIATION. HE WAS FROM QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, WHICH IS A TOWN JUST SOUTH OF BOSTON AND HE WAS A HARVARD GRADUATE. >> SO I THINK NANCY, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WILL HEAR INTERSPURSED IN THE CEREMONY THIS AFTERNOON ARE THE SONGS, HARVARDIANA WHICH IS APTED TO INCLUDE RADCLIFF SO WE WILL BE ABLO HEAR THAT AND THE SONG USES THE NAME "ELI" TO REFER TO ATHLETIC RIVAL YALE, AND IN THE RECENT YEARS INSTEAD OF YELLING JUST HARVARD, WOMEN ARE ENCRAGED TO YELL "RADCLIFF" AS AN ALTERNATIVE A YOU WILL HEAR THAT TODAY. WE WILL ALSO HONOR THE ALUMIE OF RADCLIFF WITH THE RADIFF ALMA MATER AND THA IS NOW WE RISE TO GREET THEE AND TO CAP I OFF IS FAIR HARVARD, THE ALMMATER FOR FOR THE 21ST CENTURY NOW.DAPTED AGAIN WE'RE SEEING A SHOT OF THE STEPS, THE STAGE WHE THE DIGNITARI ARE SLOWLY TAKING THEIR PLACE. THIS IS HARE REGARD TIME >> THIS IS THE CHAOS THAT PETER TALKED ABOUT, THIS IS PAR FOR THE COURSE, IS MORE CHAOTIC TODAY BECAUSE PELE ARE ENJOYING BEING TOGETHER AND % BEING OUTSIDE IN THIWONDERFUL HISTORIC PLACE. >> WE CAN LOOK OUT AND SEE THE SUN-DAPPLED GROUP OF PEOE, ENJOYING THE TIME TO BE TOGETHER. IT'S A REASONABLY COOL AFTERNOON, THE PEO ARE GOING TO ENJOY IT AND ENJ THE COMMUNION OF BEING TOGETHER WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND NOW A NEW SET OF ALUI. >> BILL, I LOVE THE FACT THAT ON THISERY SPOT SINCE 1642, THE LONGEST RUNNING ANNUAL CEREMONY IN THAMERICAS CONNUES EVERY YEAR. SOMETIMES PPLE SAY WE SHOULD DO THIS DOWN AT THE STADIUM BUT I WANT IT TO STAY HERE BECAUSE ITISTORIC PLACE AND SITE. >> IT IS AND IT'S BOOK-ENDED BY THE LIBRARY ANDHE CHURCH AND UNIVERSITY HALL ON ONE SID AND SEVER ON THE OTHER. UNIVERSITY HALL W THE SITE OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND THIS YEAR'S CLASS OF 1968 WAS INTEGRALLY INVOLVED IN THOSE DEMONSTRATIONS, THEY HAVETHEIR 50th REUNION THIS YEAR AND IT WAS A TIME OF TURMOIL NOT ONLY AND IT'SNTERESTING THAT TODAY IS THE 50thNNIVERSARY OF THE CLASS DAY SPEAR, 50 YEARS AGO THE CLASS DAY SPEAKER CSEN BY THE STUDENTS WAS RETTA SCOTT KING. >> IT WAS ACTUALLY MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR. >> HE WAS ASSASSINATEDND SO CORETTA SCOTT KING CAME AND SPOKE. I THINK IT IRONIC AND INTERESTING THAT WE HAVEOHN S SPEAKING ON THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF HER SPEECH. ITREAT. >> WE SEE KAREN GOLDEN MILLS ON THE RIGHT, OVERSEER, AND THEY WEAR BLACK AND WHITE UNLIKE COMMITTEE WHO WEAR BLACK AND CR >> AND OVERSEERS ARE ELECTED. . NOW WE SEE JOHN LEWIS IN THE CENTER OF YOUR SCREEN, THE HONORABLEOHN LEWIS, NGRESSMAN FROMEORGIA AND TO HIS RIGHT, TO YOUR LEFT ON THE SCREEN IS PHILLIP LOVEJOY THE EX HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SO TO HIS LEFT, YOUR RIGHT IS SUSAN NOVICK WHO WILL BE CONDUCTING THE CEREMONIES IS AFTERNOON. IT LOOKSIKE SHE IS GETTING READY. SHE WILL RAISE HER GAVEL AND FOUND THE PODIUM AND THAT WILL AL THE BEGINNING OF THE AFTERNOON. >> IT'S INTERESTING TO PNT OUT THAT LARRYBACOW ISN STAGE TODAY AS AN INCOMING PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE IS CURRENTLY ON THE CORPORATION SO AS A MEMBER OF THE CORPORATION HE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF HARE FREED ALREADY AND HE WAS ON THE SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE NEW PRESIDENT WHEN HE WAS ASKED AND POINTED IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEA. >>S I UNDERSTANDT THE SELECTION COMMITTEE IN THEIR PROCNGS WERE SO IMPRESSED BY HIM THEY ASKE HIM IF HE WANTED TO BE A CANDIDATE. HE AND HIS WIFE TALKED IT OVER AND HE DECED HE DEPARTMENT TO BE A CANDIDATE AS MUCH POINT HE STEPPEDOWN FROM THE SELECTION COMMITTEE. THERE WE S A GOOD VIEW OF THE STAGE, THE POUM, THE DIGNITARIES ON THE STAGE AS WE WAIT FOR THE OPENING GAVEL FOR THE AFTERNOON EXERCISES. I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S HERE IN TERCENTENARY THEATER BECAUSE IS IS WHERE THE -- THIS IS THE ACADEMIC HEART OF THE UNERSITY. SO IF WE MOVE DOWN TO THE STADIUM WE WOULD BE IN THE ATHLETIC FIELDS WHICH HAS THEIR PLACE IN A UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT BUT THIS BEING AN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION, I REALLY PREFER THAT IT BE RIGHT HERE IN THIS VERY HISTORIC, ACADEMIC PLACE AND IT'S SO WONDERFUL TO E 35,000 PEOPLE CELEBRATE THE JOY OF ACHIEVEMENT IN LEARNING EVERY YEAR. >> THERE'S A GREAT SHOT OF TERCENTENARY THEATER, AS THE SUN IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON -- >>HAT'S THE VIEW OF TT SUSAN NOVICK SEES. >> SUSAN MORRIS NOVICK, CLASS OF 1985, HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT IS AT THE PODIUM AND OFF. I THINK WE'RE ABOUT TO START. >> GOOD AFTEOON. WELCOME. PRESIDENT FAUST, MEMBERSF THE HARVARD CORPORATION AND THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS, THE HONORABLE JOHN LEWIS, MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY, HONORED GUESTS, FELLOW ALUMNI, NEW GRADUATES, FRIENDS. AND FAMILY. WELCOME TO THE 149TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATIO [APPLAUSE] MY NAME IS SUSAN MORRIS NOVICK, I AM A CURRE RESIDENT OF NEW YORK, A FORMER RESIDENT OF MATHER HOUSE, AND A MEMBER OF THE HARVARD COLLEGE CLASS OF AS THE 139TH PRESIDENT OTHE HARVAR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRADITION SET BY OUR VERY FIRST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, CLASS OF 17, I RAISE THIS GAVEL AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. (GAVEL) [APPLAUSE] THE HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATIO WARMLY WELCOMES ALL OFOU WHO HAVERADUATED TODAY, THE % COLLEGE REUNION CLSES, AND ALL OTHER ALUMNI, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE MADE IT HERE TODAY AND GATHERED FOR THE RY HAPPY OBSERVCE OF COMMENCEMENT. THIS FESTIVE TRADITION BEGAN IN 1642, THEN HERALDED AS "THE ANNU CELEBRATION O THE JOY OF LEARNING." IN 1867, ALUMNI RETURNED ON COMMENCEMENT DAY TO CHEER ON THE NEW GRADUATES, AND WE'VE BEEN RETURNING IN CELEBRATI EVER SIE. THIS ANNL GENERAL MEETING OF THE HARVARUMNI ASSOCIATION SERVES AS A JUBILANT REMINDER THAT EVERY HARVARD GRADUATE AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES A LIFELONG MEMBER OF THE HAA. AS ONE OF MY PREDECESSORS HAS SAID, THERE ARE NO DUES AND THERE IS NO ESCAPE. [LAUGHTER] OUR ENTIRE HAARD COMMUNITY, IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU HOME, FOR ETERNITAS. [LAUGHTER] [APPLAUSE] IN THE 382 YEA IN WHI% STUDENTS HAVE PASSED THROUGH THESE GATES, HVARD'SISSION HAS REMAED TRUE, PERHAPS BEST EXPRESSED IN PRESIDE ELI'S FAMILIAR INSCRIPTION ON DEXTER GATE IN 1890. WELCOMING STUDENTS WITH: "ENTER TO GROW IN WISDOM," THE UNIVERSITY HAS EMBRACED YOUTHFUL PASSION AND IDEALISM; SHAPED IT WITH REASON AND EVIDENCE A EXPERIENCE; AND EMPOWERED IT TO LEAD WITH EXPERTISE AND PURPOSE. UPON LEAVING THE YARD, THUS ARMED, WE ARE EXHORTED TO "DEPART O SERVE BETTER THY COTRY AND THY KIND". HAS BEEN MY GREAT HONOR AN PRIVILEGE TO SERVES PRESIDENT OF THE HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. WE ARE,000 ALUMNI STRONG, MA OF WHOM HEED THAT CALL TO SERVICE EVERY DAY. OUR WORK THIS YEAR ON THE HAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS FOCUSED ON THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF HARVARD IN THE WORLD, HIGHLIGHTING THE MANY WAYS IN WHICH OUR STUDENTS AND FACUY HAVE DONE IMPORTANT, GROUNDBREAKING WORK THROUGH RESEARCH, SCIENTIFICDISCOVERY AND THOUT LEADERSHIP. BUT IN MY HAA AVELS THIS YEA I ALSO DISCOVERED THIS KIND OF POSITIVE CHANGE EFFECTED BY OUR UMNI IN THEIR CAL COMMUNITIES. ALUMNI HAVE PROVIDED DISASTER RELIEF IN THE WAKE OF TRAGEDY; WE HAVE CREATED THOUSANDS OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR DESERVING STUDENTS FROM AROUND THEORLD; WE HAVE WORKED TO HEAL AND TO VOCATE, TO GOVERN, TO CREAT AND INSPIRE. INANY WAYS, WE ARE HARVARD IN THE WORLD, BOTH CITIZENS AND AMBASSADORS THIS GREAT UNIVERSITY. AT THIS ME OF REUNION, WE WELCOME NEW GRADUATING CLASSES THIS WEE OUR CELEBRATION OF THE CLASS OF 2018 COINCIDES WITH THE 50TH REUNION OF THE GREAT CLASS O1968. [CHEER& APPLAUSE] THE CONNECTIONS ACROSS TIME, BETWEEN ONE UNSETTLED ERA MARKED BY YOUTH PROTEST AND OUR CURRENT ONE, REMINDS US THAT THVOICES OF YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD, PERHA NOW MORE THAN EVER. IN 1968, CLASS DAY SPEAKER CORETTA SCOTT KI SPOKE TO STUDE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT PARTICATION IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS IN, WHAT SHE CALLED, "YOUR RESTLESS SEAFOR TRUT" SHE FELT THAT STUDENTS MIGHT BE BETTER ABLE TO SEE THE FAULT LINEBETWEEN THE IDLS WE ARE TAUGHT AND THE REALITIES WE LIVE, AND TO ACT TO REDY THEM. TO HARNESS AND DIRECT THAT ACTIVISM FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE WORLD WAS HER HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. HER WORDS HA JUST AS MUCH MEANING TODAY AS THEY DI50 YEARS AGO. WE HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER ACROSS HARVARD CLASSES AND ACROSS GENERATIONS. FOR MANY OF US, HARVARD HAS BEEN THE WELLSPRING OMANY OF OUR DREAMS AND AMBITIONS BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE WE DISCOVERED WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE WANT TO BE. OUR WORK TOWARD THESE GOALS HAS INFUSED THE IRIT OF THE HA WHERE THE OLE IS SO MUCH GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS. CONNECTED TOARVARD AND TO OUR ALUMNI COMMUNITY IN WAYS, GREAT AND SMALL. OUCOLLECTIVE ENGEMENT IN SUPPORT OF OUR SHARED VALUES HAS EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT BOTH HERE AND BEYOND THE GATES OF HARVARD YARD. AS OUR ACADEMIC YEAR COM TO A CLOSE, THE DEDICATION OF OU ALUMNI INOWHERE BETTER REFLECTED THAN IN THE TREMENDOUS SUCCESS OF THE HARVARD CAMPAIGN. THIS RECORD-SETTING CAMPAIGN HAS ENGAGED ALUMNI AS VOLUEERS AND D0 HOUSEHOLDSAVE SUPPORTED HARVARD THROUGH THE CAMPAIGN, AND ALMOST 20,000 ALUMNI SERVED AS VOLUNTEERS DRIVING ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION. THESE GIFTS OF TIME, ENERGY AND RESOURCES GIVE VITAL SUPPORTO THE PEOPLE, PROGRA, AND EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES THAT AR% CRITICAL TO THE UNIVERSITY'S MISSION. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR ALUMNI FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR HARVARD. AND NOW, AS WE REJOICE IN THESE FESTIVAL RITES, I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT AT LEAST FOUR GENERATIONS OF ALUMNI HAVE RETURNED TO CAMPUS TO CELEBRATE TODAY. LEADING THE RADCLIFFE AMNAE TODAIS. EVELYN RICHMOND THE RADCLIFF CLASS OF 1941 WILL TURN 97 pXT ! [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] FROM THE HARVARD COLLEGE CLASS WILL CELEBRATE HIS 98th BIRTHDAY IN AUGUST LED THE CLASTHIS AFOON. [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, EVELYN AND THEODORE FOR LEADING OUR PARADE, YOU MANY YEARS OF PARTICIPATION ARE GREAT REMINDER FOR OUR NEW GRADUATES THAT THEIR HARVARD EXPERIENCE IS JUST BEGIING. I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME OUR STAGE WITH US. CHAI SEATED ON THIS DEDICATED GROUP OF ALUMNI CLASSES AND LEAD OUR REUNI NION EFFORTS FOR OUR ALUMNI AND THE UNIVERSITY. TODAY, WE APPLAUD A 50TH REUNION ATTENDANCE RECORD AND CELEBRATE E REMARKABLE GENEROSITY OF THE 25TH RNION CLASS. WILL ALL THE CHAIRS SEATED ON STAGE PLEASE STAND SO WE CAN THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE? [CHEERS & PLAUSE] ONE OF THE IMPORTANT TRADITIONS MARKED BY ALL 25TH REUNION CLASSES, IS THE ELECTION OF THE CHIEF MARSHAL OF COMMENCEMENT. OUR CHIEF MARSHAL IS A DISTINGUISHED AND DEDICATED PUBLIC SVANT, WHO FOLLOWED HER UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE AT HARVARD WITH A DOCTORATE FROM OXFORD, SHE WAS A RHODES SCHOLAR, AND A LAW DEGREE FM YALE. A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF RHODE ISLAND, SHE BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO HOLD THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND. NAMED BY FORTUNE MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE WOR'S 50 GREATEST LEADERS IN 2016, SHE HAS PRIORITIZED ECONOMICROWTH AND JOB CREATION AS GOVERNOR TO GREAT SUCCESS. SHE CREDITS MUCH OF THAT SUCCESS TO HER YEARS ON THE RUGBY TEAM AT HARVARD WHICH SHE HASAID WAS EAT TRAINING FOR A CAREER IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRUCE THE CHIEF MARSHAL FOR COMMENCEMENT, THE HONORABLE GINA RAIMON, GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND. [CHEERS & PLAUSE] [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] NOW, WI THE ENTIRE 25TH REUNION CLASS PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOG? STAND AGAIN! [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] THEY'RE A HAPPY BUH! LET'S TURN NOW TO OUR NEWEST COLLEGE UMNI, THE CLASS OF [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] THE SENIOR CLASS COMMITTEE, WHICH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR HAS BROUGHT ITCLASS TOGETR AT OVER SEVERAL DOZEN EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IS REPRESE FIRST MARSHAL BERKELEY BROWN AND SECOND MARSHAL WYATT ROBERTSON. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SENIOR CLAS MARSHALS, NEARLY 830 MEMBERS OF THE CLASS CONTRIBUTED TO TIR SENIOR GIFT. WOULD THE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED? [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS ON BEHALFF YOUR CLASS, AND CONGRALATIONS AGAIN TO THE ENTIRE CLASS OF 2018! AND WELCOME TO THE HAA! [APPLAUSE] ON JULY 1ST, I WILL PASS THE TORCH OF HAA LEADERSHIP TO ONE OF THELUMNI ASSOCIATION'S MOST ENERGETIC AND DEDICATED SUPPORTERS, A MEMBER OTHE HARVARD COLLEGE CLASS OF 2009, WHO HAS SERVED AS TH HAA VICE AFFAIRS AND IS AN ELECTED CLASS MARSHAL, IN ADDITION TO MANY OTHER ROLES ONHE HAA'S BOD OF DIRECTORS OVER THE YEARS. SHE HAS GIVEN GENEROUSLY OF HER TIMEND ENERGY TO T UNIVERSITY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HER BRIGHT AND DYNAMIC ADERSHIP. KNOW I LEAVE THE HAA IN GOOD HANDS. HAA PRESIDENT-ELECT, MARGARET WANG, WILL YOU PLEASE STAND? [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] ON JULY 1ST, ANOTHER TORCH WILL BE PASSED, THAT FROM PRESIDENT FAUST TO OUR PREDENT-ELECT LARRY BACOW, WHO IS HERE ON STAGE TH US TODAY. AS A HOLDER OF THREE HARVARD DEGREES, A MEMRSHIP ON THE HARVARD CORPORATION, AND PROFESSORSHIPS AT THE SCHOOLF EDUCATION AND THE KENNEDY SCHOOL, WE KNOW HE WL FEEL ROLE AT HARVARD. S UPCOMING PRESIDENT-ELECT BACOW, WOULD OU PLEASE STAND SO WE CAN OFFICIALLY WELCOME YOU? [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] WE RECENTLY CONCLUDED THIS SPRING'S ELECTIONS FOR HARVARD'S ARD OF OVERSEERS AND THE ELECTED DIRECTORS OF THE HARVARD ALUMNI ASSIATION AND I AM PLEASED TO SRE THE RESULTS. OUR BOARD OF OVERSEERS IS VIRTUALLY UNIQUE AMONG GOVERNING BODIES OF UNIVERSITIES BECAUSE ITS MEMBERS ARELECTED ENTIRELY BY MEMBERS OF OUR ALUMNI COMMUN THE ELECTION FOR OVERSEERS BEGA IN 1866, MAKING IT A TRADITION FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THE CANDIDATES FOR OVERSEER AND ELECTED DIRECTOR FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO BE OF SERVICE TO HARVARD. THANK YOU TO EACH OF YOU WHO VOD AND PARTICIPATED. PLEASE HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE UNTIL ALL THE NAMEIN EACH CATEGORY ARE ANNOUNCED. SIX EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS VE B TERMS ON THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS, AND THEY A: GERALDINE ACUÑSUNSH MANILA, PHILPINES AND BOSTON, MAHUSETTS. PHILIP HT CULLOM OF GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND. MEREDITH "MAX" HODGES OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. MARILYN HOLIFIELD OF MIAMI, FLORIDA. DIEGO A. RODRIGUEZ OF PALO ALTO, CALIFORNA. YVETTE ROUBIDEAUX OF WASHINGTON, D.C. FIVE OF THE NEW OVERSEERS RE ELECTED FOR SIX-YEAR TERMS. THE SIXTH-ACE FINISHER, DIEGO ROIGUEZ, WILL COMPLETE THE UNEXPIRED TERM OF JANE LUBCHENCO, WHO IS STEPPING DOWN TWO YEAREARLY IN LIGHTF OTHER OFESSIONAL OBLIGATIONS. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING OUR NEW OVERSEERS. [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] NEXT, SIX INDIVIDUALHAVE BEEN ELECTED TO SERVE THREE-YEAR TERMS ON THE HRVARDALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THEY ARE: COETTE CREPPELL OF PROVIDENCE, R LOUISIANA. SID ESPINOSA OF PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA. NATOSHA REID RICE OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA. KRISHNAN SUBRAHMANIAN OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. BELLA WONG OF ON, MASSACHUSETTS. RAID YASIN OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. WEOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH OUR NEW OVERSEERS AND ELECTED DIRECTORS IN THE YEARS AHEAD TO HELP SHAPE HARVARD'S FUTURE. PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING AND WELCOMING THEM! [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] TO CELEBRATE OUR EXTRAORDINARY VOLUNTEERS AND OUR ENTIRE ALUMNI COMMUNITY, PLEASE JOIN THE HARVARD UNIVERSITY BAND AND THE COMMENCEMENT CHOIR IN THEIR PERFORMANCE OF HARVARDIANA. THE WORDS ARE IN YR PROGRAM. ♪ >> WITH CRIMSON IN TRIUMPH FLASHING 'MID THE STRAINS OF VICTORY POORG INTOLUE OBSCURITY! ♪ RESISTLESS, OUREAM SWEEPS GOALD ¡T F HARVARD ♪ ¡TILL THE LAST WHITE LINE IS PASSED ARVARD! HARVAR HARVARD! HARVARARVARD! HARVARD! ♪ HARRD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! HARVARD! ♪ WITH CRIMSON IN TRIUMPH FLASHING ♪ ¡MID E STRAINS OF VICTORY ♪ POOR ELI'S HOPES WE ARE DASHING ♪ INTO BLE OBSCURITY! ♪ RESISTLESS, OUR TEAM SWEEPS GOALWARD ♪ ¡MITHE FURY OF THE BLAST ♪ WE'LL FIG FOR THE NAME OF HARVARD ♪ ¡TILL THE LAST WHITE LINE IS PASSED ♪ ♪ ♪ [MUSIC PLAYING] ♪ ♪ ♪HARVARD MEDAL IS THE HIGST HONOR AWARDED BY THE UNIVERSITY AND RECOIZES INDIVIDUA WHO HAVE GIVEN EXTRAORDINARY SERVICE TO HARVARD. THIS YEAR'S THREE RECIPIENTS, WHO ARE ALL WITH US TODAY, MERIT THIS RECOGNITION FOR THEIR EXEMPLY AND INSPIRATIONAL COMMITMENT TO OUR UNERSITY. YOUR COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM DESCRIBES THMANY WAYS IN WHICH THE 2017ARVARD MEDAL WINNERS HAVE EICHED THE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT FAUST WILL READ THE CITATIONS. I ASK THAT EACH OF THE MEDALISTS PLEASE STAND AS YOUR NAME IS ANNOUNCED. >> ROBERT COLES. EMINENT PSYCHIATRIST, PROLIFIC AUTHOR, AND BELOVED HARVARD PROFESSOR WHOSE WORK BRIDGES CULTURAL AND CURRICULAR BOUNDARIES, YOU HAVE EXEMPLIFIED THE PURSUIT OF VERITAS IN YOUR LIFELONG STUDY OF MORALITY AND THE LIVES OF CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD CULTIVATING EMTHY AND INSPIRING GENERATIONS TO HEED THLL OF SERVICE THROUGHR PROFOUND STORYTELLINGYOUR INSIGHTFUL TEACHING, AND YOUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERISM. ROBERT C ILE SESHGS. ROBERT COLES. [APPLAUSE] ROBERT SHAPIRO. ALUMNI LEADER, STALWART VOLUNTEER, AND TRUSTED ADVISOR WITH A VIEW OF HARVARD THAT SPS DECADES AND DISCIPLINES, YOU HAVE STRENGTHENED THE UNIVE DEMONSTRATING A REMARKABLE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE, A RA COMBINATION OF GOOD JUDGMENT AND GOOD HUMOR, AND AN ENDURING COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION AS A FORCE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE. [APPLAUSE] ALICE WELCH. WITH A FIRM BUGENTLE HAND, A BOLD BUT INCLUSIVE VOICE, AND A RESOLUTE BUT OPTIMISTIC SPIRIT, YOU HAVE DRIVEN CHANGEHROUGH YOUR TIRELESS ADVOCACY FOR GENDER EQUITY AT HARVARD AND BEYOND, UNIFYING ALUMNAE AND NI ACROSS SCHOAND CLASS YEARS IN COMMON CAUSEO EXPAND AND ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPU A.C.WEL WELCH. [APPLAUSE] >> I AM NOW PLEASED, ON BEHALF OF THE AOCIATION, TO PRESENT A SPECIAHARVARD MEDAL, TO DREW GILPIN FAUST. [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE] DREW GILPIN FAUST. ESTEEMED HTORIAN WITH A KEEN RESPECT FOR THE PAST AND AN INSPIRATIONAL VISION FORHE FUTURE, YOU HAVE AUTHORE A REMAABLE CHAPTER IN HVARD'S STORY, LEADING THE UNIVERSITY FORWARD WITH WISDOM, COURAGE, AND INTEGRITY. PIONEERING PRESIDENT AND GLOBAL AMBASSADOR FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, YOU OPENED WIDER THE GATES OF HARVARD TO STUDENTS FROALL BACKGROUNDS AND DEEPENED HARVARD'MENT WITH THE WORLD BEYOND. BREAKING NEW GROUND, TERALLY AND FIGURAVELY YOU REVITALIZED LIVING AND LEARNING SPACES ON BOTHIDES OF THE RIVER AND FOSTERED UNPRECEDENTED CROSS-DISCIPLINARYOLLABORATION BETWEESCHOOLS. YOU PROMOTED EXPERIMENTATION IN THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, SEEDING BOLD DISCOVERIES AND INNOVATIVE VENTURES, AND NURTURING CREATIVE EXESSION AND HUMANISTIC THROUGH CHAN AND THROUGH STORM, YOU KNIT TOGETHER A MORE INCLUSIVE AND VERSE UNIVERSITY COMMITY, BUILT ON THE CONVICTION THAT EVERY PERSON HERE SHOULD FE THAT I, TOO, HARVARD. [APPLAUSE] PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING ALL OF OUR 2018 HARVARD MEDALISTS. [APPLAUSE] AND NOW IT IS MY PRIV INTRODUCE OUR COMMEEMENT SPEAKER. E HONORABLE JOHN LEWIS HAS BEEN SERVING AS THE U.S. CONGRESSMAN FROM GEORGIA'S 5TH DISTRICT SINCE 1986. BUT HIS SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY BEGAN YEARBEFORE THEN. IN RURAL ALABAMA, AS A YOUG MAN HE WAS INSPIRED BY THE NON-VIOLENT SOCIAL ACTIVISM OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ANON ROSE TO JOIN HIM AS ONE OF THE "BIG 6" LEADERS AMERICA'S CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THE AGE OF 23, HE HELPED TO ORGANIZE THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON AND WAS ITS YOUNGEST KEYNOTE SPEAKER. AT THE AGE OF 25, HE LED THE BRIDGE IN SEA, ALABAMA. PETTUS HE WAS PHYSICALLY BEATEN THAT DAY BUT RECOVERED KNOWING TT THE VONG RIGHTS ACTF 1965 WOULD BE PASSED SOON AFTER. REPRESENTATIVE LEWIS HAS EMBODIED THE VIRTUES OF COURAGE, COMMITMENT, RESILIENCE AND TIMISM IN HIS LIFELONG FIGHT FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS. HE WAS AWARDED TH MEDAL OF FREEDOM IN 2011; AND HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY IN 2012; AND THE 2017 GLEITSMAN TIZEN ACTIVIST AWARD AT THE HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL CENT FOR PUBLIC LE TO HONOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN SPARKING POSITIVE SOCIAL CHANGE AND INSPIRINOTHERS TO DO THE SAME. AND HE ISTILL MARCHING, WITH AN EYE TOWARD EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION ABOUT HIS OWN TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY. MANY OF THE ACHIEVEMEN OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT ARE IN NO SMALL RT THANKS TO A MAN WHO DEMONSTRATED THE POWER OF ONE VOICE TO LIFT THE AMERICAN SPIRIT, AND ONE MAN TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY. EASE WELCOME THE HONORABLE JOHN LEWIS TO E STAGE. [APPLAUSE] [CHEERS] >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. FOR THOSE KIND WORDS OF INTRODUCTION. I MUST TELL YOU THAT I'M DELIGHTED, VER PLEASED AND REALLY HAPPY TOE HEAR YOU LOOK GOOD! [LAUGHTER] THE WEATHER IS GOOD, RAIN STAYED AWAY. I'M HAPPY. IT'S GOOD TO SEE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. FELLOWS OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS, MEMBERS DISTINGUISHED DEANS, GUESTS, FACULTAND ALL OF TH STUDENTS, ALL OF THE WONDERFUL GRADUATES, AND MADAM PRESIDE, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, THANK YOU FORETTING IN GOOD TROUBLE! [LAUGHTER] NECESSARY TROUBLE. TO LEAD THIS GREAT UNIVERSITY. I WANT TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT TO HONO THE TENURE OF A GREALEADER, WHO, THROUGH HER COURAGE AND VISION, WORKED TO LEAD THIS HISTORICVERSITY TO EVEN HIGHER HEIGHTS. MADAM PRESIDENT, THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THANK YOUOR USING YOUR OFFICE TO MOVE HARVARD TOWARD A MORE ALL-INCLUSIVE INSTITUTION. PPLAUSE] SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, YOU REALIZED THAT E BRILLIANT MIND IS NOT CONFINED TO ONE DISCIPLINE OR ONWAY OF THINKING. IN FACT, TRUE NIUS SEES CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS BRIERS, TO BUILD A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD CREATING ONE HARVARD IS MU LIKE THE WORK I DEDICATED MY LI TO. EVER SINCE AS A YOU GIRL YOU WROTE LETTER TO PRESIDENT EISENHOWER AS A LITTLE GIRL, YOU HAVE BEEN RESPONDING TO THE CRY FOR HUMAN WORLD. RINGS OUT IN OUR YOU USED YOUR VISION AND YOUR RESOURCES OF THIS UNIVERSY TO RESPOND TO THAT CALL, AND I THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO HUMAN UNITY IN OUR WORLD DAY. I SAY TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WHO GRADUATED FROM THIS UNIVERSITY, YOU MUST LEAD. YOU'RE NEVER TOO YOUNG TO LEAD, YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD TOLEAD! WE NEED YOUR LEADERSHIP NOW MORE THAN EVERY BEFORE. pWE NEED IT! [ALAUSE] WE MUST SAVE OUROUNTRY! WE MUST SAVE IT! [APPLAUSE] WE MUST SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY. [APPLAUSE] THERE ARE FORCES IN AMERICA TODAY AND AROUND THE WORLD TRYING TO TAKE US TO SOME OTHER PLACE OUR FOREMOTHERS AND FOREFHERS BROUGHT US TO THIS PLACE. MAYBE OUR FOREMOTHERS AND OUR FOREFATHER'S ALL CAME TO THIS GREAT WORLD IN DIFFERENT SHIPS BUT ASHE LATE GREAT RANDOLPH SAID"WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT NOW" AND WE MUST LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER AD CARE FOR EACH OTHER. [APPLAUSE] YOU'RE NEVER TOO YOUNOR TOO TO SPEAK UP! SPEAK OUT! AND GET IN GOOD TROUBLE, NECESSARY TROUBLE. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO STAND ON T. ANOTHER GENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND PEOPLE NOT SO YOUNG ARE INSPIRED TO GET IN THE WAY. STUDENTS FROM HARVARD, DR. COLE, WHO I HAVE BEEN KNOWING FOR MANY YEARS CAME TO MISSISSIPPI, CAME TO THE SOUTH AND GAVE EVERYTHING YOU HAD. DURING THE 63 YOUNG MEN THAT I KNEW, ANA GOODMAN, NICK WILL YOU SASHRENER AND JAMES GE THEIR LIVES WHILE THEY WERE HELPING PEOPLE TO REGISTER TO VOTE. THE VOTE IS PRECUS. IT'S ALMOST SACRED. IT IS THE MOST POWERFUL, NONINSTRUMENT OR TOOL WE HAVE IN A DEMRATIC SOCIETY A WE MUST USE T IF WE FAIL TO USE IT, WE WILL LOSE IT. [APPLAUSE] SO DING THIS ELECTION YEAR, I URGE YOU, I PLEAD WITH YOU TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO SAVE AND RESCUE AMERICA. TO DO WHAT YOU CAN TO SAVE THE PLANET! SAVE THIS SPACESHIP WE CALL EARTH AND LEAVE IT A LTLE CLEANER, A LITTLE GREENER, AND LITTLE MORE PEACEFUL. [APPLAUSE]TIONS YET UNBORN. WE HAVE A MISSIONND A MDATE TO GO OUT THERE, PLAY A ROLE AND PLAY IT SO WELL AS DR.KING WOULD SAY, THAT NO ONE ELSE CAN PLAY IT ANY BETTER. SMV YOU HAVE HEARD M SAY FROM TIME TO TIME THAT GREW UP IN RURAL ALABAMA ON A FARM. PICKING COTTON GATHERING PEANUTS, GATHERING CORN, SOMETIMES WOULD BE OUT THERE WORKING AND MY MOTHEROULD SAY, "BOY, YOU'RE FALLING BEHIND! YOU NEED TO CATCH UP" AND I WOULD SAY "THIS IS HARD WORK AND SHE SAID "HARD WORK NEVER KILLED ANYBODY AND IAID I SAY ABOUT TO KILL ME! [LAUGHTER] WE NEED TO WORK HARD! ERE IS WORK TO BE DONE. THESE SMART GRADUATES WILL LEAD US. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LEAD US, AND GUYS, I SAY TO YOU, IF YORE NOT MINDFUL, THE WOMEN ARE GOING TO LEAD US! [CHEERS & APPLAUSE IT IS MY LIEF, IT IS MY FEELING AS A TRAVELLER OF AMERICA THAT THE WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE, HIGH SCHOOL UDENTS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND COLLEGETUDENTS WILL LEAD US AS PART OF A NONVIOLENT REVOLUTION. WE WILL CREATE AN AMERICA THAT IS BETTER, A LITTLE MORE HUMANE AND NO ONE, BUT NO ONE CAN DENY [APPLAUSE]. I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE OR TWO WORDS TO THE GRADUATES. TAKE DEEP BREATH AND TAKE IT BUT TOMORROW, I HOPE YOU ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES, BECAUSE THE WORLD IS WAITING FOR TALENTED MEN AND WOMEN TO LEAD IT TO A BETTER PLACE. RING THE 60s, PEOPLE LITERALLY PUT THEIR BODIES ON THE LINE! MANY CAME FROM THIS UNIVERSITY, CAME FROM CAMBRIE, FROM BOSTON, THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THROUGHOUT AMERICA. JUST THINK A FEW SHORT YEARS AGO THAT BLACK PEOPLE AND WHITE PEOPLE COULDN'T BE SEATED TOTHER ON A GREYHOUND BUSINESS OR TRAILWAY BUS, LEAVING WASHINGTON, D.C. TO TRAVEL THROUGH VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI. WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO NEW ORLEANS TO TT A DECISION OF THE UNITED STES SUPREME COURT. WE WERE BEATEN, ARRESTED, AND MORE THAN 400 OF US WERE JAILED. MY SEAT MATE WAS A YOUNG WHITE GENTLEMAN FROM CONNECTICUT. WE ARRIVED IN A SMALL TOWN IN WE WERE BEATEN, LEFT BLOODY. BUT MAN YEARS LATER AND THIS WAS Y, 1961, SAME AR THAT BARACK OBAMA WAS BORN, BUT MANY YEARS LATER, ONE OF THE GUYS THAT BEAT US CAME TO MY OFFICE IN WASHINGTON. HE GOT INFORMATION FROM A LOCAL REPORTER HE WAS IN HIS 70s, HIS SON CAME WITH HIM IN HIS 40s. HE SAID, MR. LEWIS, I'M ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT BEAT YOU. BEAT YOUR SEATMATE. I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE KLAN. HE SAID "WILL YOU FOR GIVE ME?" "I WANT TO APOLOGIZE." "WILL YOUCCEPT MY APOLOGY? WILL YOU FOR GIVE ME?" HIS SON STARTED CRYING, HE STARTED CING AND I SAID I FOR GIVE YOU. ACCEPT YOUR APOGY. EY HUGGED ME, I HUGGED THEM BACK AND I CRIED WITH THEM. IN POWER OF THE WAY OF PEACE, THE POWER OF LOVE, IT IS THE PO DISCIPLINE OF NONVIOLENCE. WE NE WHERE WE CANE RECONCILED AND LAY DOWN THE BURDE OF HATH FOR HATE IS TOO HEAVY OF A BURDEN TO BEAR. [A INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA CAMPAIGNING TH BBY KENNEDY. CRIED. STOPPED CRYING AND I SAID T MYSELF "WE STILL HAVE BOBBY." O MONTHS LATER BOBBY KEPT DID I WAS GONE -- KENNEDY WAS GONE AND I CRIED SOMEORE. TODAY WE'VE GOT TO GET RID OF OUR ARE TEARS AND NOT BE DOWN AND NOT GET LOST IN THE SEA OF DESPAIR. WE'VE GOTO BE HOPEFUL A KEEP THE FAITH AND TURN THE SHIP OUND. WEAN DO IT AND WE MUST DO IT! PPLAUSE] HERE AT HARVARD YOU'VE BEEN WELL TRAINED. YOU MUST GET OUT THERE AND AS DR. KING WOULD SAY, BE A HEADLI! IT'S YOUR TIME, IT'S YOUR CALLING. DURINTHE 60s IOT ARRESTED A FEW TIMES, 40 TIMES! [LAUGHTER] ND SINCE'VE BEEN IN C ANOTHER FIVE TIMES! [APPLAUSE] AND I'M PROBABLY INGO GET ARRESTED AGAIN! MY PHILOSOPHY IS VY SIMPLE, WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT RIGHT, NOT FAIR, NOT JUST, ! SAY SOMETHING! SPEAK UP AND SPE OUT! PPLAUSE] WHEN I WAS GROWING UP AS A YOUNG BOY IN RURAL ALABAMA, 50 MILES FROM MONTGOMERY, I HAD AN AUNT BY THEAME OF SINEVA AND MY AUNT LIVED IN A SHOTGUN HSE, SHOTGUN HOUSE, YOU DON'T EVEN A KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT [LAUGHTER] ONE WAY IN, ONWAY OUT. WHAT IS A SHOTGUN HOUSE? OLD HOUSE, DT YARD. SOMETIMES MY AUNT SINEVA WOULD GO OUT ON THE WEEKEND, FRIDAY OR SATURDAY, AND TAKE A BRUSH BROOM MADE FROM DOGWOOD BRANCHES AND SWEEP THE YARD VERY CLEAN. ONE SATURDAY AFTERNOON FEW OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, COUSINS, ABOUT 15 O U YOUNG CHILDREN WERE PLAYING IN HER DIRT YARD. AND AN UNBELIEVABLE STORM CAM UP. THE WIND STARTED BLOWING, THE THUNDERSTARTED ROLLING AND THE LIGHTNING STARTED ASHING AND SHTOLD US TO COME IN. WEENT IN. THE WIND CONTINUED TO BLOW, THE THUNDER CONTINUED ROLL, THE LIGHTNING CONTINUED TO FLASH, AND THE RAI CONTINUED TO BEAT ON THIS OLD TIN ROOF OF THE SHOTGUN HOUSE. AND WE CRIED AND CRIED. AND IN ONE CORNER OF THE OLD HOUSE APPEARED TO BE LIFTING UP AND MY AUNT WALKED OVER TO TH SIDE TO HOLD THE HOUSE DOWN WITH HER BODY. WHEN THE OTHER CORNER APPEARED TO BE LIFTING SHE HAD US WALK TO THAT CORNER, WE WERE CHILDREN WALKING TH THE WI, BUT WE NEVER, EVER LEFT THE USE! I SAY TO EACH O YOU, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, THE WIND M BLOW, THE THUNDER MAY ROLL, THE LIGHTNING MAY FLASH AND THE RAIN MAY BEADOWN ON AN OLD E, CALL IT A HOUSE OF HARVARD, CALL IT A HOUSE OF CAMBRIDGE, CALL IT A HOUSE OF GLOUCESTER, CL IT THE HOUSE OF WASHINGTON, OR ALABAMA OR GEORGIA, WE ALL LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE. WE ALL MUST HOLD OUR LITTLE HOUSE DOWN. SO I SAY TO YOU: WALK WITH THE WIND. LE THE SPIRIT OF HISTORY BE YOUR GUIDE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [CHEERS & APPLSE] [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, REPRESEATIVE LEWIS. YOUR LIVING EXAMPLE, MODELING CITIZENSHIP AS A CALLING, HAS BEENN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF THANK YOU FOBEING WITH US TODAY. [APPLAUSE] TO HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF RADCLIFFE COLLEGE AND IT ALUMNAE, AND TO MARK ITS HISTORICAL SIGNICANCE FOR MEN AND N ALIKE, PLEASE STAND AND IN IN SINGING ADCLIFFE NOW WE RISE TO GREET EE." THE WORDS ARE IN YOUR PROGRAM. ♪ ♪ RCLIFFE, NOW WE RISE TO GREET THEE ♪ ALMA MATER, HAIL TO THEE! ♪ ALN SINGING ♪ OF OUR LOVE AND LOYALTY ♪ WE HAVE LEARN'D TO KNOW EACH OT ♪ IN THLIGHT, WHICH CLEARLY BEAMS ♪ THOHAS BEEN A KINDLY MOTHER, GREAT FULFILLER OF OUR DREAMS. ♪ RADCLIFFE, NOW WE RISE TO ♪ ALMA MATER, HAIL TO THEE! [APP] >> IT IS NOW MY PRIVILEGE T INTRODUCE THE 28TH PRESIDENT OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY AND LINCOLN PROFESSOR HISTORY, DREW GILPINAUST. [APPLAUSE] PUBLIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE ARY HARVARD MEL CITATION, DREW FAUST HAS ALSO CONNECTED TO THE CITIZENS OF OUR UNIVERSITY IN MANY PERSONAL WAYS. I WAS INTRODUCED TO HER AS THE HARVARD COLLEGEAND I WAS ALWAYS WHICH SHE SPTO STUDENTS WAY IN WELL-LIVED. MEASURE A LIFE - BEYOND ACADEMICSSHE SPOKE ABOUT VALUES AND MORALAND THE CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTERS. SHE URGED STUDENTS TO LEAD LIV OF ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITMENT AND "RISK TAKEN IN SERVICE TO WHAT MATTERS TO YOU MOST." AND, IN HER MEMORABLE PARKING SPACE THRY OF LIFE, SHE ADVISES NOT TO PARK SIX BLOCKS AWAY FROM YOUR DESTINATION BECAUSE YOU'RE AFRAID YOU WON'T FIND A CLOSER SPACE OUT FRONT. GO FIRST TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE. IN OTHER WORDS, DON'T SETTLE FOR PLAN B UNTIL YOU HAVE TRIED PN A. WE HAVE BE SO FORTUNATE THAT SHE HAS CHOSEN THE PRESIDENCY OF HARVARD AS HER PLAN A FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS, PARKING HER CAR RIGHT HERE IN HARVARD YARD. [LAUGHTER] IT IS MY HONOR TO INVITE TO THE PODIUM, HARVARD'S 28TH PRESIDENT D LINCOLN PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, OUR ALMA MATER, DREW GILPIN FAUST. [APPLAE] >> THANK YOU SUSAN FOR THOSE VERY GENOUS WORDS AND THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR A GENEROUS WELCOME. HEART FELTONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR GRADUATES AND TIR FAMILIES FOR THE HARD WORK AND MA ACCOMPLHMENTS THAT HAVE BROUGHT YOU TO THIS DAY. I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO JN LEWIS FOR SHARING HIS INSPIRING WORDS AND PRESENCE WITH US. THERE CAN BE NO FINER EXAMPLE OF HOW TO LIVE A LIFE THAN THAT OF JOHN LEWIS. APPLAUSE] HIS COURAGE ADEDICATION, SELESSNESS AND MORAL CLARITY HAVE FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY CHALLENGED THIS COUNTRY LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. IT'S AN INEXPRESSIBLE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO STAND OTHIS STAGE BESIDE HIM. ALMOST 11 YEARS A I STOOD ON THS PLATFORM TO DELIVER MY INAUGURAL ADDRESS AS HARVARD'S 28th PRESIDENT. SOMETHING OF A BOOK END, A KIND OF VADICTORY, LITERALLY FAREWELL WDS. I OBSERD THA INAUGURAL SPEECHES ARE BY DEFINION PRONOUNCEMENTS BY INDIVIDUALS WHODON'T YET KNOW WHAT THERE BY NOW I CAN NO LONGER INVOKE THAT EXCUSE. I AM CLOSE TO KNOWING ALL I EVER WILL ABOUT BEING HARVARD'S PRESIDENT. BUT I THEN WENT ON TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT THE PECULIAR GENRE OF INAUGURAL ADDRESSES, THAT WE MIGHTDUB EM AS EXPRESSIONS OF HOPE, UNCHASTENED BY THE RD OF EXPERIENCE. BY NOW I SHOULD KNOW THAT ROD. IN MY MIND I HR JIMMY HENDRIX ASKING "ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?" I WOULD HAVE TO ANSWER AFFIRMATIVELY! PERHAPS NOT AS EXPERIENCED AS CHARLEWILLIAM ELLIOT WHO MA IT THROUGH FORTYEARS AS HARVARD'S PRESIDENT BUT 11 YEARS . D I WERE LAUNCHED WITN 48 HOURS % OF EACH OTHER! [LAUGHTER] IN THE SUMMER OF 2007. ALL OF US ARE NOW SO ATTACHED TO OUR DEVICES THAT IT SEEMS ALMOST UNIMAGINABLE THAT EY WERE NOT ALWAYS THERE. THE SMARTPHONE INITIATED A REVOLUTION IN HOWE COMMUNICATE, HOW WE INTERACT, HOW WE ORGANIZE OUR LIVE WE'RE ONLY BEGINNINGTO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THIS DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ON OUR DISRUPTED SOCIETY, ECONY, POLITICS, EVEN ON UR BRAINS. 2008 BROUGHT THE FINANCIAL CRISIS AND THE LOSS OF CLOSE TO A THIRD OF OUR ENDOWMENT. PROMING US IN THE ENSUING YEARS TO OVERTURN A SYSTEM OF GOVEANCE THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE HERE AT HARVARD SINCE 1650, AND TO TRANSFORM OUR FINCIAL AND ULTIMATELY OUR INVESTMENT PROCESSES AND POLICIES. FIVE YEARS AGO WE LIVED THROUGH THE MARATHON BOMBINGS AND THE ARRIVAL OF TERROR IN OUR VERY MIDST AND WE CAME TOGETHER AS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED HURRICANES TO SNOWMAGEDEN TO BOMBO GENESIS. WE HAVE CONFRONTED A CHEATING CRISIS, AN EMAIL CRISIS A PRIMATE CRISIS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMEN CRISES AND WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT AND LASTING CHANGES IN RESPONSE TO EACH. WE HAVE FACED DOWN H1N1, EBOLA, ZIKA AND EVEN THE MUMPS. WE HAVEEEN CHALLENGED AS WELL AS OFTEN INSPIRED AND PASSIONATE STUDENT ACTIVISM, OCCUPY, BLACK LIVES MATTER, HARVARD, UNDOCUMENTED AT HVARD% AND #METOO. WE HAVE FACED A POLITICAL AND POLICY ENVIRONMENT INCREASINGLY HOSTILE TO EXPERTISE AND SKEPTICAL ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION. PASSED LAST DECEMBER WILL, WE ESTIMATE, IMPOSE ON US NEXT YEAR THE EQUIVALENT TO ,000 PER STUDENT. THERE HAS, INED, BEE A GOOD I WANT TO FOCUS NOT ON THAT ROD OF EXPERIENCE BUT ON WHAT I THEN DEFINED AS THE ESSENCE OF AN INAUGURAL MESSAGE, THE EXPRESSION OF HOPE. NOW, AS THEN, THAT IS WHAT FILLS THK ABOUT HARVARD. ABOUT I PRESENT AND ITS FUTURE. THESE PAST ELEVEN YRS HAVE ONLY STRENGTHENED MY FAITH IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND ITS POSSIBILITIES. HO I HAVE LEARNEDERIVES NOT JUST FROM THE INNOCENC OF INEXRIENCE BUT FROM THE REALITIES, THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK OF LEADING AND LOVING THIS UNIVERSITY. AT A TIME OF GROWING DISTRUST OF INSTITUTIONS, AND CONSTANT ATTACKS ON COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES, I WANT TO AFFIRM MY BELIEF THAT THEY ARE BEACONS OF HOPE TO WHICH WE ASPIRE. IN THEIR ESSENCE, UNIVERSITIES ARE ABOUT HOPEAND ABOUT THE FUTURE AND THAT IS AT THE HEART WHAT WE CEBRATE TODAY. HOPE IS THE FNDATION OF LEARNING. THE 6989 GRADUATES WE HONOR TODAY ARRIVED HERE WITH ASPIRATINS ABOUT WHAT EDUCATION COULD MAKE PSIBLE. WITH DREAMS ABOUT HOW THEIR LIVES WOULD BE CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE TIME THEY WOULD SPEND HERE. DEAN KORANA OF THE COLLEGE REGULARLY SPEAKS TO STUDENTS ABOUTTRANSFORMATIONS, THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK FROM THEIR DERGRADUATE EXRIENCE. HE URGES THEM TO ARTICULATE THEIR HOPES AND DEFINE A PATH TOWARD REALIZINGHEM. AND WE DO HAVE SUCH VERYIGH ASPIRATIONS FOR THEM. THEY FIND LIVES OF MEANING AND PURPOSE, THAT THEY DISCOR PASSION THAT AN MATES THEM, THAT THEY STRIVE TOWARD RITAS, THAT THEY USE THEIR EDUCATION TO DO GOOD IN THE WORLD. NEVER HAS THE WORLD NEEDED THESE GRADUATES MORE, AND I THINK THEY UNDERSTAND THAT. I HAD LUNCH WITH A DOZEN OR SO SENIORS ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND I ASKED THEM TO CHARACTERIZE THEIR FOUR YEARS HERE. THEY SPOKE OF THE WAYS THEY HAD POINTEDLY, THEY SPOKE OF HOW THE WORLDEEMED TO HAVE CHANGED AROUND THEM. THEY WORRIED ABOUT THE HEALTH D SUSTAINILITY OF THE EARTH, THEY WORRIED ABOUT THE HEALTH OF OUR DEMOCRACY, AND OF CIVIL SOCIETY, AND THEY DESCRIBED HOW THIR ATTITUDES AND PLANS D ALTERED BECAUSE OF THESE CHANGED CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY NO LONGER TOOK THEIR WORLD FOR GRANTED. THE FUTURE OF OUR SOCIETY, OUR BE GUANTEED. IT WAS UP TO THEM. THEIR CAREERS AND LIFE GOALS HAD SHIFTED TO EMBRACE A MUCH BROADE SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, EXTENDING BEYOND THEMSELVES TO ENCOMPASS AN OBLIGATION TO A COMMON GOO THAT THEY HAD COME TO RECOGNIZE MIGHT NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THEM. I THOUGHT OF THE STUDENTS AS SOMETHING AKIN TO ALCHAMISTS CONFRONTING DARK REALITIES AND FORGING A GOLDEN PATH THAT OFFERED HOPE. TO THEMSELVES ABOUT THEIR OWN LIVES BUT TO ALL OF US AS WE IMAGINE WHAT THESE EXTRANARY GRADUATES WILL DO WIT AND FOR THE DAMAGED WORLD WE OFFER THEM ASIR INHERITANCE. IT WOULDE IMPOSSIBLE TO BE SURROUNDED BY THESE STUDENTS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THEIR TIME AT HARVARD WITHOUT BEING FILLED WITH HOPE ABOUT THE FUTURE THEY WILL CREATE. TO PARAPHRASE THE ED SCHO'S CAMPAIGN SLOGAN THEY ARE HERE LEARNING TO CHANGE THE WORLD. BUILDING A MORE ENLIGHTENED FUNDAMENTAL WORK OF THE FACULTY AS WELL AND AT THE CORE OF HARVARD'S IDENTITY AA RESEARCH UNIVERSITY. THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION WESK AS WE CONSIDE APPOINTING A PROFESSOR IS WHAT HAS THIS PERSON DONE TO ALTER AND ENHANCE OUR UNDERSTAING OF THE WORLD? PERHAPS THEY'VE REVEALED HOW THE CROBIOME WOS OR HOW INTERNATIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AFFECT ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OR HOW UNDOCUMENTED SDENTS CONFRONT EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES. PERHAPS THEY'VE UNLOCKED WAYS TO IDENTIFY THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF GENES THAT CAUSE SCHIZOPHRENIA OR PERHAPS THEHAVE DISCOVERED HOW TO ENGINEER AN EXO SUIT TO ENABLE A PERSON TO WALK. HARVARD SCHOLARS EXPLORE HISTORY AND LITERATURE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND TYRANNY, ART TO ILLUMINATE THE FOUND ADDITIONS TO ADDRESS FUNDAMENTAL ASSAULTS ON ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT PRIVACY. WI ITS OUTCAST AND CREATING A DIERENT FUTURE, ALWAYS WORKING FOUNDED IN HOPE, SEEING INFLUENCING OTHERS TO CHANGE THEIR UNDSTANDING AND PERHAPS EN THEIR ACTIO. WE ARE BY DEFINITION A COMMUNITY OF IDEALISTS, THINKING BEYOND THE PSENT AND THE STATUS QUO TO HOWHINGS COULDE DIFFERENT, COULD BE OTHERWISE. THE PRIVILEGE OF INTERACTING WITH HARVARD'S REMARKABLE STUDENTS AND FACULTY AND THE THEIR WORK HAS UPLIFTED ME EVERY DAY FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS. IT WOULD B NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE THEY ARE SO INTENT TO BUILD BUT THERE'S ANOTHER WAY THAT HARVARD FILLS WITH HOPE. THAT IS THE WAY THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY LIVNG AND WORKING TOGETH WITHIN THESE WALLS ARE ENDEAVORING OURSELVES TO GRAPP WITH T CHALLENGING FORCES VIDING AND THREATENING THE WORLD, FORCES LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE ORHE DIVISIVENESS, OR THE UNDERMINING OF RATIONAL FACTS AND DISCOURSE OR THE CHILLING THREAT OF FREE SPEECH. WE MIGAKE ON SUSTANILITY AS EMB . WE HAVE COME TO CONSIDER OURSELVES AIVING LABORATORY, OUR RESEARCH AND ENGAGEMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF URSE STRETCHES WELL BEYOND OURALLS. OUR CULTY, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE PLAYED CRITICAL ROLES I FORGING INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE AGREEMENTS, HAVE ENGINEERED INNOVATIVE WAYS TO CREATE AND STORE RENEWABLE ENERGY, HAVE INFLUENCEDEGULATORY FRAM RKS FROM WASHINGTON TO BEIJING, HAVE EXPLORED THE SEARING IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HEALTH. BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE ENAVORED TO MAKE OUR OWN COMMUNITY A MODEL FOR WHAT MIGHT BE POIBLE, WHAT WE MIGHT HOPE FOR AS WE IMAGINEHE FUTURE. WE HAVE REDUCED OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 30%, OUR TRASH BY 44%, WE PRODUCE 1.5 MA WATTS OF SOLAR ENERGY, ENOUG TO FUEL 300 HOMES. WE HAVE OGRAMS EXPIMENTING WI HEALTHY BUILDING MATERIALS, GREEN CLEANING, FOOD WASTE, AND WE HAVE CONSTRUCTED HOUSE ZERO, AN ENERGY NEUTRAL STRUCTURE THAT IS ESSENTIALLY AN ERMOUS COMPUTER GENERATING DATA ABOUT EVERY ASPECT OF ITS OPERATION AND DEGN. MAKING INFORMATION AVAILABLE T OTHERS AS THEBUILD FOR THE FUTURE. WE SEEK TO BE A LIVING EXPERIMENT IN OTHER WAYS AS WELL. WE GATHER HERE IN CAMBRIDGE, FACE-TO-FACE IN A RESIDENTIAL, EDUCATIONALSEING, BECAUSE WE EDUCATIONAL CHINE.MMUNITY AS AN ITCH OFTEN OBSEED THAT HARVARD IS LIKELY THEMOST DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH MOST OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE EVERY LIVED. WE ENDEAVOR TO ATTRACT TALENTED INDIVIDUALS FROM THE WIDEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF BAGROUNDS, EXPEENCES AND INTERESTS, FRO THE BROADEST DIVERSITY OF GEOGRAPHIC ORIGINS, SOCIOAND ECONOMIC CIRCUMANCES, ETHNICITIES, RACES, RELIGION, GENDER IDENTITIES, SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS AND POLITICAL PERSPECTIVES AND WE ASK STUDENTS TO LEARN FROM TSE DIFFERENCES, TO TEAC ONE ANOTHER AND TO TEACH US AS WELL WITH THE VARIETY OF WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY BRING. THIS ISN'T EASY. IT REQUIRES INDIVIDUALS TO ESTION LONG-HELD ASSUMPTIONS, TO OPEN THEIR MINDS AND THEIR HEARTS TO IDEAS AND ARGUMENTS THATAY SEEM NOT JUST UNFAMILIAR BUT EVEN DISTURBING AND DISORIENTING. AND IS AN EXPERIMENT THAT BECOMESVER MORE DIFFICULT IN AN INCREASINGLY POLARIZED SOCIAL ANITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ERESSIONS OF HATRED, BIGOTRY AND DIVISIVENESS SEEM NOT JUST PERMITTED BUT ENCOURAGED. IN SPITE OF THE CHALLENGES ALL AROUND US, WE AT HARVARD STRIVE TO BE ENRICHED, NOT DIVIDED BY OUR DIFFERENCES. TO SUSTAIN TS VISION OF AN EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY, WE MUST BE A LIVING LABORATORY IN ANOTHER SENSE AS WELL. WE MUST BE A PLACE WHERE FTS WHERE REASONED AND RESPECTFU-- [APPLAUSE] WHERE REASONED AND RESPEL DISCOURSAND DEBATE SERVE AS ARBITERS OF TRUTH. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH RECENT CRITICISM OF UNIVERSITIES FOR NOT BEING SUFFICIENTLY OPEN TO PROTECTING AND NOURISHING FREE SPEECH IS FOR US A FUNDANTAL COMMITMENT. AND ONETHAT DEMANDS CONSTANT ATTENTN AND VIGILANCE, ESPECIALLY UNTIL A TE OF SHARP POLITICAL AN SIAL POLARIZATION. AND UNCONTRO UNCONTROLLABLE COCOFFAN THAT DEFINES A UNIVERSITY ANS INEVITABLY WE WILL FALL SHORT. WE CANNOT ALWAYS GUANTEE THAT EVERY MEMBER OTHIS COMMUNITY LISTENS GENEROUY TO EVERY MOTHER BUT THAT MUST MOTIVATE US TO REDOUBLE OUR EFRTS. SILENCING IN COMFORTABLE INTELLECTUAL ORTHODOXY,EPENDENT OF FACTS AND EVIDENCE BCKS OUR ACCESS TO NEW AND BTER IDEAS. [APPLAUSE] WE MUST BE DEDICATED TO THE BELIEF THAT TROOST CANNOT BE SIMPLY ASSERTEDR CLAIMED BUT ST BE ESTABLISHED WITH EVIDENCENDESTED WITH ARGUMENT. [APPLAUSE] TRUTH SERVESS INSPITION AND ASPIRATION IN ALL WE DO. IT PULLS US TARD THE FUTURE AND ITS POSSIBILITIES FOR SEEING MORE CLEARLY, UNDERSTANDING MORE FULLY, AND IMPROVING OURSELVES AND THE WORLD. ITS PURSUIT IS FUELED BY HOPE. HOPE JOINS WITH TRU AS THE VERY ESSENCE OF A UNIVERSITY. AND SO, I COMEBACK TO HOPE. THE HOPE IMPLICIT IN OUR EFFORTS TO MODEL A DIFFERENT FOR HUMANS TO LE AND WORK TOGETHER. E HOPE IN THE I AND DISCOVERIES THAT ARE THE CURRENCY WE TRADE IN, THE HOPE IN THERIGHT FUTURESF THOSE WHO GRADUATETODAY. YET AS I STEP DOWN FROM MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS HARVARD'S PRESIDENT I'M KEENLY AWARE OF ANOTHER OF HOPS FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTES: IT IMPLIES WORK STILL UNFINISHED. ASPIRATIONS NOT YET MATCHED BY ACHIEVEMENT, POSSIBILITIES YET TO BE SEIZED AND REALIZED. HOPE IS A CHALLENGE. I THINKE WORDS THE BELOVED LATE CREW COACH HARRY PARKER ONCE SPOKE TO A ROWER, WORDS I QUOTED OFTEN DURING THE CAMPAIGN. "THIS" HE SAID TO THE ROWER, "THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN BE. DID YOU WANT TO BE THAT?" THESE ARE THE WORDS AND THE MESSAGE I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE WITH HARVARD. E WORK IS UNFINISHED. THE JOB REMAINS STILL TO BEDDON% IN TIMES TT MAKE IT PERHAPS MORE FFICULT THAN EVER. MAY WE CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES WI THE HOPE OF ALL WE CAN BE, AND WITH THE UNWAVERING DETERMINING TO BE THAT. MAY HARVARD BE AS WISE AS IT IS SMAR ASESTLESS AS IT IS PROUD, AS BOLD AS IT IS THOUGHTF, AS NEW AS IT IS OLD, AS GOOD AS IT IS GREAT. THANK YOU. [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU SO MUCH, PRESIDENT FAUST. WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FO YOUR WISDOM AND YOUR LEADERSHIP AND WE LOOK FORWTO SHARING IN YOUR CONTINUED SCHOLARSHIP HERE AS THE LINCOLN PROFESSOR OF HISTORY. YOU ONCE ADVIS GRADUATING SENIORS AS THEY EMBARD ON THEIR LIFE'S JOURNEY TO "CARRY OTHERS IN YOUR HEART." PLEASE KNOW THAT WE ALL CARRY U IN OURS AS YBARK ON YOUR NEXT CHAPTER. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] NO HARVARD GHERINGWOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THE SINGING OF OUR SCHOOL ANTHEM. BEFORE WE CLOSTHESE AFTERNOON EXERCISES. PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME NOW AS WE SING FAIR HARVARD. THE WORDS APPEAR IN YOUR PROGRAM. ♪ ♪ FAIR HARVARD! WE JOIN IN THY JUBILEE THRONG ♪ AND WITH BLESSINGS SURREER THEE O'ER ♪ BY THESE FESTIVAL-RITES, FROM THE AGE THAT IS PAST ♪ TO THE AGE THAT IWAITING BEFORE ♪ O RELIC AND TYPE OF OUR ANCESTORS' WORTH ♪ THAT HAST LONG KET THEIR MEMORY WARM ♪ FIRST FW'R OF THEIR WILDERNESS! ♪ STAR OF THEIR NIGT! ♪ CALM RISING THROUGH CHANGE AND THROUGH STORM FAREWELL! ♪ BE THY DESTINS ONWARD AND BRIGHT! ♪ TO THY CHILDREN TE LESSON STILL GIVE ♪ WIT FREEDOM TO THINK, AND WITH PATIENCE TO BEAR ♪ AND FOR RIGHT EVER BRAVE TO ♪ LET NOT MS-COVEREERROR MOOR THEE AT ITS SIDE CURRENT GLIDES BY TRUTH'S ♪ BE THE HERALD OF LIGHT% AND E BEARER OF LOVE ♪ TILL THE STARS IN THE FIRMAMENT DIE ♪ [ALAUSE] >> ON BEHALF OF THE HARVARD UMNI ASSOCIATION, LET ME ONCE AGAIN OME AND CONGRATULATE THE TIRE CLAS OF 2018. [APPLAUSE] HONORED GUESTS, FELLOW ALUMNI AND FRIENDS, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, THANK YOU FOR UR SUPPORT OF HARVARD. I NOW HEREBY DECLA THE 2018 MEETING OF THE HARVARD ALNI ASSOCIATN ADJOURNED, TO RECONVENE ON MAY 30TH, 2019. (GAVEL) [CHEERS & APPLAUSE] >> THUS, WE HAVE CONUDED THE 149th ANNUAL MNG OF THE HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AS PART OF HARVARD'S 367th COMMENCEMENT. WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE THIS AFTER JOHN LES, A 16-TERM CONGRESSMAN FROM GEORG AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST WHO HAS WORKED ON SOCIAL JUSTE DATES TO HIS RULE AS ASSISTANT TO MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR AND THE YOUNGEST KEYNOTE SPEAKER OF THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHGTON. CONGRESSMAN LEWIS STARTED HIS SPEECH THANKING DREW FAUST FOR HER LEADERSHIP WHICH HE CHARACTERIZED AS AN ABILITY TO MAKE CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS ACSS BARRIERS. HE EXORTED TODAY'S GRADUATES TO BE ACTIVISTS, STAND UPOR FAIR AND JUSTICE, TO HELP SAVE THE EARTH AND MAKE IT A CLEANER, LEAVE IT AS A CLEANER A VOICE THAT BOOMED AND REVERB N RATED ACROSS HAARD YARD HE US TO A BETTER PLACE.ES TO LEAD HE ASKED PEOPLE TO KEEP THE FAITH AND TO TN THE SHAPE -- SHIP OF STATE AROUND HE SAID THAT HE IS LOOKING TO GRADUATES AND TO YOUNGEOPLE TO SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY. CONGRESSMAN LEWIS WAS GREETED BY A STANDING OVATION WHICH WAS SPEECH THERE WAS ANOTHER HIS - STANDING OVATION FOR HIM. BILL, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT TUS ABOUT PRESIDENT FAUST'S FINAL SPEECH? >> I FELT A VERY EMOTIONAL DREW FAUST. SHE TALKED ABOUT HOPE AS THE CORE OF THE MESSAGE]Rqvv8 GIVINGH>y(ñ US AND SHE CALLED:, FAREELL WORDS AND'$X INAUGURAL ADDRESS SHE FELT IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS HOPE WITHOUT HAVING ANDS SHE CALLED IT, UNCHASTENED BY THE ROD OF INEXPEENCE AND SHE STILL BROUG TOGETHER THE HOPE THAT SHE HAS AND I LOVED THE WAY SHE TIED THE BO D, IN 2007 WHEN SHE WAS INAUGURATED THE PUTS TOGETHER HOW FAST OUWORLD IS CHANGING. THEORE BEING SHE SEES UNIVERSITIES AT BEACON OF HE THE FOUNDATION OF LEARNING AND SHE WANTS STUDENTS TO FIND HOPE, THE WORLD AND SHE FINDS IT BY T AND SHE WAS UPLIFTED EVERY DAY WITH THOSE THOUGHTS. A COMMUNITY THA GRAPPLES, THERE ARE ON GOING WAYS SHE HAS APPROACHED THOSE AND BROUGHT TOGETHER THE COMMUTY TO ADDRESS THESE, THE RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT, THE EDUTIONAL SYSTEM AT HARVARD IS AN EDUCATION MACHINE IN HER WORDS. THE DIVERSITY OF THIS PLACEIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN FROM THEIR DIFFERENCES. A POINT OF THE SPEECH, THE ADESS THAT GOT APPLAUSE WAS HER LINE TT SAID "RVARD SHOULD BE A PLACE WHERE FACTS MATTER," AND SHE WENT ON TO SAY THE UNCONTROLLABLE COCOPHANYOF UNIVERSITIES SOMETIMES FALL SHORT, SHE CAN'T DISPUTE THAT BUT WE SHOULD BE NONETHESS DEDICATED TORUTH. IN WRAPPING UP SHE SAID HERISH FOR HARVARD ISO BE AS WISE AS IT IS SMART, RESTLESSS IT IS PROUD, BOLD AS IT IS THOUGHTF, NEW AS IT IS OLD AND GOOD AS IT IS GREAT. SO I TAKE FRO THAT AS WE DEPART WITH THE STRINGS O FAIR HARVARD IN OUR EARS AND THE BAND PYING IN THE BACKGROUND WE DEPART THINKING WE WILL RECONVENE IN A YEAR FOR THIS MEENG IN THE SAME PAGENTRY AND THE SAME SENSE OF COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO GO FORTH IN THE WORLD WITH THE RINGING STRAINSF WT DREW FAUST TOLD US, THAT AT THE RE OF HER MESSAGE, THAT IS HOPE, WE GO FORWARD WITH HOPE. PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH THAT WE WILL . THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON. TO CONCLUDE OUR PROGRAM, I'M GOING TO READ A POEM BY SHAMUS HANEY THE PRIZE WINNING POET WHO WAS A PROFESSOR HERE AT HARVARD. THE TITLE IS JOHN HARVARD WALKS THE YARD. A SPIRIT MOVED JOHN HARVARD WALR THE ADA LAY UNSPLIT,HE WEST UNWON, THE BOOKS DID OPEN AND THE GATES UNBARRED. THE MS DREAMT ON LIKE MOON DUST, NOTHING STIRRED, TH FUTURE WAS A VERB IN HIGH BEHR NATION, JOHN HARVARD WALKED THE YARD. BEFORE THE CLASSIC STYLE, BEFORE THE CLUB BEHR, ALL THROUGH THE SMALL HOURS OF AN ORIGIN, THE BOOK STOOD OPEN AND THE GATE UNBARRED. NIGHT PASSAGE OF AN MIGRATORY B PIGEON, A SPIRIT MOVED, JOHN HARVARD WALKED THE YARD. WAS THAT HIS SOUL, LOOK SPED TO ITS REWARD BY GRACE OR WORKS, A SHOOTING STAR, AN OMEN, THE GATES STOOD OCCY AND THEYARD, FIND YOURSELF O FOUNDER HERE IMAGINE A SPIRIT MOVED, JOHN HARVARD WALKS THE YARD. THE BOOKS STAND OPEN AND THE GATES UNBARRED.
