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.
2018 Class Day Speaker: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
| Year | Speaker | Speaker’s background |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | Acclaimed author (video; article) |
| 2017 | Joe Biden | 47th vice president of the United States and a six-term U.S. senator (video; article) |
| 2016 | Rashida Jones A.B. 1997 | Actress (video; article) |
| 2015 | Natalie Portman A.B. 2003 | Actress (video; article) |
| 2014 | Sheryl Sandberg A.B. 1991, M.B.A. 1995 | Facebook COO (video; article) |
| 2013 | Soledad O’Brien A.B. 1988 | Emmy-winning journalist (video; article) |
| 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’ (video; speech) |
| 2010 | Christiane Amanpour | International television correspondent (speech) |
| 2009 | Matt Lauer | Co-anchor of NBC News’ ‘Today’ (video; speech) |
| 2008 | Ben S. Bernanke | Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (video; article) |
| 2007 | William Jefferson Clinton | Former President of the United States (video; article) |
| 2006 | Seth MacFarlane | Creater and executive producer, "Family Guy" (video; 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" (video; article) |
| 2003 | Will Ferrell | Comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" star,(speech) |
| 2002 | Al Franken A.B. 1973 | Comedian and former "Saturday Night Live" writer,(speech) |
| 2001 | Bono | lead singer of the rock band U2, (speech) |
| 2000 | Conan O'Brien A.B. 1985 | host of NBC's Late Night |
| 1999 | Alan Simpson | Director, Institute of Politics, John F. Kennedy School of Government |
| 1998 | William F. Weld A.B. 1966 | 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 A.B. 1961 | 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 A.B. 1938 | 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.) |