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Harvard Commencement 2026
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Key Moments
Harvard's 375th commencement celebrates nearly 8,500 graduates with deep-rooted traditions, including a 460-year-old chair and a unique regalia system, but notably lacks an official mascot.
Key Insights
Harvard University, founded in 1626, graduates nearly 8,500 students across its 13 degree-granting schools at its 375th commencement.
The Holy Oak Chair, used in ceremonies since 1770, is approximately 460 years old and was once fitted with a cushion due to its discomfort.
Harvard's regalia includes specific cues for identification: undergraduates wear black robes without hoods, master's students have a crimson-lined hood, and doctoral students wear tams (floppy velvet caps) instead of mortarboards.
Harvard has historically lacked an official mascot; current honorary mascots include Sarah the cat from the 1930s and Sasha, a community engagement dog trained through the 'puppy behind bars' program.
Undergraduate housing communities, known as 'houses' (e.g., Quincy House, represented by seven diamonds), are announced on Housing Day and are identified by unique shields and symbols.
Radcliffe College, which previously awarded degrees simultaneously with Harvard for women starting in 1998, is now the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and collaborates with Harvard's 13 degree-granting bodies.
Celebrating the Class of 2026: Scale and Tradition
Harvard University's 375th commencement exercises mark a significant milestone, celebrating the graduation of nearly 8,500 students from its 13 degree-granting schools. The event, steeped in tradition, brings together all schools for a unified celebration of academic achievement. Founded in 1626, Harvard's commencement traces its roots back to 1642, when its first class of nine students graduated. Many of the early ceremony's traditions persist, reflecting the university's long-standing commitment to its historical rituals. This year's celebration also includes special features such as video messages from graduates offering advice for their future endeavors and a student address by Conan O'Brien.
Iconic campus landmarks and their historical significance
The commencement ceremony takes place in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, with key events unfolding in and around Harvard Yard. The Tercentenary Theater, used for broadcasts since 1936, serves as the central hub. Widener Library, a monumental structure built in tribute to Harry Elkins Widener, a 1907 graduate lost on the Titanic, serves as a backdrop. Its steps are a prime spot for families to gather, a tradition many participants, including the speaker, have personally experienced. Memorial Church, dedicated to Harvardians who died in battle, houses the Holy Oak Chair, a 460-year-old ceremonial seat used since 1770. Originally uncomfortable, it now features a cushion added by a former president's mother.
Decoding Harvard's diverse academic regalia
Identifying graduates during the procession is made possible by a detailed system of academic regalia. Undergraduate students wear simple black robes without hoods. Master's students are distinguished by their black robes with long, sleeve-like extensions and hoods lined in crimson. Doctoral candidates don puffy robes, similar to those from law or medical schools if black, and wear 'tams'—floppy velvet caps—instead of the standard mortarboard. A unique Harvard element is the 'crows feet' on the regalia, color-coded to signify the specific school from which a degree was earned. For example, powder blue crows feet indicate a degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, founded in 1920.
The evolution of Harvard's ceremonial traditions and figures
The ceremony is formally called to order with the ringing of a 5,000-pound brass bell from Memorial Church, rung by hand. A key figure is the University Marshal, who, accompanied by sheriffs from Middlesex and Suffolk Counties, calls the ceremony to order with a silver-tipped staff. Historically, these sheriffs were present to maintain order during what was a more raucous, city-wide celebration involving considerable revelry. Today, their presence signifies a more ceremonial role in upholding the joyous occasion. The procession into the Yard is often accompanied by the university's song, 'Fair Harvard'.
From past mascots to present-day canine companions
Harvard's commencement stream highlights a unique aspect of its identity: the absence of an official mascot for much of its history. This contrasts with rivals like Yale. However, the narrative touches upon historical and honorary mascots. Sarah, the 'Harvard cat' from the 1930s, found and adopted by campus staff, was recognized for her mousing abilities. More recently, Sasha, a community engagement dog with over 10,000 hours of training, plays a vital role. Sasha, part of the 'puppy behind bars' program, engages with students, breaks down barriers, and provides comfort, often facilitating connections to university resources and making students feel seen and connected, especially when they miss home.
Undergraduate houses and the Radcliffe legacy
Undergraduate students convene around markers corresponding to their houses, the residential communities they are affiliated with after their first year. These houses, each with unique shields and symbols (e.g., Quincy House's seven diamonds, the 'three fishsceteers' of a quad house), foster community and pride. The history of Radcliffe College is also intertwined, having previously been a degree-granting institution for women, with diplomas printed from 1998 onwards indicating simultaneous graduation from Radcliffe. It is now the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, one of Harvard's 13 degree-granting bodies, contributing to master's and doctoral programs.
Student involvement: Public service and impactful addresses
The commencement program emphasizes student leadership and engagement. Dean Alicia Johnson Williams, herself a graduate of both the undergraduate college and the Graduate School of Education, shares her experiences. She highlights programs like 'Harvard Spark,' which engages students in public service projects in their hometowns before they even arrive on campus, fostering a connection to their communities. The ceremony features addresses by three selected students who undergo a rigorous selection process. Among them is Noah Eckstein, an English undergraduate set to deliver a talk titled 'The Punch Line,' bringing his performance and musical background to a large audience of approximately 30,000 to 32,000 people physically present, and many more online.
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Common Questions
Harvard University was founded in 1626. It graduated its first class of just nine students in 1642, six years after Harvard College was established.
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Mentioned in this video
The oldest institution of higher education in America, founded in 1626, celebrating its 375th commencement.
The undergraduate liberal arts college of Harvard University, which graduated its first class of nine students in 1642.
A beautiful church in the center of Harvard's campus, built to honor war dead, where the Holy Oak Chair is placed for ceremonies.
One of the largest libraries in America, located in Harvard Yard, founded in tribute to Harry Elkins Widener.
The Harvard school from which the speaker received both a master's and a doctorate, founded in 1920.
A housing community for undergraduate students at Harvard, mentioned as an alternative to the traditional houses.
Mentioned as having a university mascot, Handsome Dan, in contrast to Harvard's historical lack of one.
The newspaper that wrote articles about Sarah the Harvard cat, highlighting her role on campus.
The program through which Sasha the community engagement dog received over 10,000 hours of training before coming to Harvard.
An undergraduate residential house at Harvard, where Dean Alicia Johnson Williams lived as a student.
Formerly a degree-granting institution for women affiliated with Harvard, now the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study.
The current form of Radcliffe College, which grants doctorate and masters degrees to graduate students.
A Harvard graduate school whose crest features stripes that are a nod to the American flag.
A Harvard graduate school whose flag features holly leaves, a tribute to the Holly Family who bequeathed an early position.
A Harvard school whose crest's lantern symbol refers to students learning at night.
A center for public service at Harvard, where Dean Alicia Johnson Williams previously oversaw the Harvard Spark program.
An institute at Harvard where many students volunteer and dedicate their time to public service.
An undergraduate residential house at Harvard, where student speaker Noah Eckstein is a member.
The city where Harvard University is located and where the commencement ceremony is taking place.
The central area of Harvard's campus where the commencement ceremony is broadcast from, filled with graduates.
One of the two counties whose sheriffs attend Harvard commencement celebrations as a long-standing tradition.
One of the two counties whose sheriffs attend Harvard commencement celebrations as a long-standing tradition.
The space in Harvard Yard where the commencement ceremony is held, named for the university's 300th celebration.
The location where Sarah the Harvard cat was found huddled in a window in 1931.
A well-known statue on the Harvard campus, around which undergraduates gather before the procession.
A 460-year-old ceremonial chair used for Harvard commencements since 1770, housed at the Harvard Fog Art Museum.
An innovative program overseen by Dean Johnson Williams at Phillips Brooks House, engaging students in public service before arriving on campus.
A 1907 Harvard graduate who perished on the Titanic, in whose tribute Widener Library was founded.
The 31st President of Harvard University, who will take his seat on the Holy Oak Chair during the ceremony.
The 25th President of Harvard University, for whom his mother brought a cushion for the notoriously uncomfortable Holy Oak Chair.
Sasha's handler, acknowledged for his incredible work in community engagement and connecting students to resources.
Dean of Elm Yard and assistant Dean of Harvard College, overseeing first-year students and discussing the student experience.
The individual offering a prayer and land acknowledgement during the commencement ceremony.
An English undergraduate from Kirkland House, giving a speech titled 'The Punch Line' at commencement, marking his first public speech despite being a performer.
The iconic image representing Harvard University, originally sketched in the early 1600s and rediscovered 200 years later.
The adorable university mascot of Yale University, explicitly contrasted with Harvard's unofficial mascot history.
Harvard's first unofficial animal representative from the 1930s, known for being a good mouser.
The indigenous people on whose traditional land Harvard University is located, acknowledged during the commencement ceremony.
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