Class Day speakers at Harvard
Note: The Senior Class Committee began inviting its own speaker to Class Day in 1968. All professional designations are as of the date of the speaker’s Class Day address.
| Year | Speaker | Speaker’s background |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Soledad O’Brien | Emmy-winning journalist (article), graduated from Harvard in 1988 |
| 2012 | Andy Samberg, Barney Frank | Saturday Night Live cast member (video), and Massachusetts Congressman (video), respectively (article) |
| 2011 | Amy Poehler | Star of ‘Parks and Recreation’ (speech) |
| 2010 | Christiane Amanpour | International television correspondent (speech) |
| 2009 | Matt Lauer | co-anchor of NBC News’ ‘Today’ (speech) |
| 2008 | Ben S. Bernanke | Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (article) |
| 2007 | William Jefferson Clinton | Former President of the United States (article) |
| 2006 | Seth MacFarlane | Creater and executive producer, "Family Guy" (article) |
| 2005 | Tim Russert | NBC News Washington bureau chief and "Meet the Press" moderator, speech |
| 2004 | Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) | Star of HBO's "Da Ali G Show" (article) |
| 2003 | Will Ferrell | Comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" star, speech |
| 2002 | Al Franken '73 | Comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" writer, speech |
| 2001 | Bono | lead singer of the rock band U2, speech |
| 2000 | Conan O'Brien '85 | host of NBC's Late Night |
| 1999 | Alan Simpson | Director, Institute of Politics, John F. Kennedy School of Government |
| 1998 | William F. Weld '66 | Former Governor, Massachusetts |
| 1997 | Quincy Jones | Producer, Composer, Musician |
| 1996 | Tom Brokaw | NBC News Anchor |
| 1995 | Hank Aaron | Baseball Legend |
| 1994 | Lani Guinier | Law Professor, University of Pennsylvania |
| 1993 | Marian Wright Edelman | President, Children's Defense Fund |
| 1992 | Scott Turow | Author |
| 1991 | Timothy E. Wirth '61 | Senator, Colorado |
| 1990 | John David Brewington | Harvard Senior |
| 1989 | Jane Pauley | Television Anchorwoman |
| 1988 | Tom Wolfe | Author |
| 1987 | Michael Dukakis | Governor, Massachusetts |
| 1986 | Peter V. Ueberroth | Commissioner of Baseball |
| 1985 | Mario Cuomo | Governor, New York |
| 1984 | Ted Koppel | Journalist |
| 1983 | Garry Trudeau | Cartoonist |
| 1982 | Mother Teresa | Nobel Prize Laureate |
| 1981 | Ralph Nader | Consumer Activist |
| 1980 | Walter Cronkite | Television Anchorman |
| 1979 | Theodore H. White '38 | Author |
| 1978 | Rodney Dangerfield | Comedian |
| 1977 | George Plimpton | Author |
| 1976 | Art Buchwald | Columnist |
| 1975 | Dick Gregory | Social Critic, Comedian |
| 1974 | Eliot Richardson | Former Attorney-General |
| 1973 | Arthur Miller | Playwright |
| 1972 | Tom Wicker | Editor, The New York Times |
| 1971 | Jimmy Breslin | Journalist, Author |
| 1970 | J. Herbert Holloman | President of the University of Oklahoma |
| 1969 | Sander Vanocur | NBC commentator |
| 1968 | Coretta Scott King | Wife of the political leader and activist Martin Luther King, Jr. (King accepted the invitation before he was assassinated in April. His wife spoke in his place.) |