Bill Clinton To Address Seniors

As many as 20,000 people could fill Tercentenary Theatre today to hear former U.S. President Bill Clinton address seniors during Class Day exercises.

Clinton, who served two terms as U.S. president from 1993 to 2001, was invited to “offer his wisdom,” First Class Marshal Chrix E. Finne ’07 said.

The Class Day speaker is chosen by a subcommittee of the Senior Class Committee, and the day has traditionally been celebrated as a festive, informal day for graduating seniors, in contrast to the formal pomp and circumstance of the following day’s Commencement.

Since leaving office, Clinton has established the William J. Clinton Foundation, which addresses issues ranging from AIDS treatment to climate change. Clinton’s wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is currently seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

“We could not have hoped for a more exciting choice for our speaker this year,” Finne said of Clinton.

Though a number of Class Day speakers have in recent history been comedians—such as Al Franken ’73 in 2002, Will Ferrell in 2003, Sacha Baron Cohen in 2004, and “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane last year—although this is a recent trend.

Clinton himself is “known as a great orator, and not an unfunny one,” Finne said.

The first non-faculty individual to be invited to address seniors was Martin Luther King in 1968. He accepted the invitation prior to his assassination in April, and his wife Coretta Scott King spoke in his place.

Mother Teresa spoke in 1982, and U2 lead singer and activist Bono addressed seniors in 2001. Bono’s speech was the last Class Day address to be ticketed; Clinton’s speech tomorrow will be ticketed as well.

Seniors could request up to 10 tickets to today’s event, which begins at 2 p.m. The event will also be broadcast in Science Center Lecture Hall B and in the Junior Common Rooms of the houses.

Former Harvard College Democrats President Eric P. Lesser ’07 wrote in an e-mailed statement that he was “thrilled” that Clinton was chosen as Class Day speaker. “He is one of the most talented leaders of our time and I think the entire class will learn a lot from what he has to say,” Lesser wrote.

Matthew P. Downer ’07, former president of the Harvard Republican Club and a Senior Class committee member on the subcommittee that chose Clinton, said that he was “personally excited” to meet Clinton and hear what he has to say.

“I think it’s always a honor when a former president of the United States comes to speak at your graduation,” Downer said.

—Staff writer Brittney L. Moraski can be reached at bmoraski@fas.harvard.edu.