Speaker Selection Process Sometimes Puts Harvard at Disadvantage

As an adviser to this year's Class Day speaker selection committee, it was former Wyoming Senator Alan K. Simpson's job to invite the committee's speaker choices.

But when Simpson, the director of the Institute of Politics (IOP), asked talk show host Oprah Winfrey if she would speak at Class Day ceremonies, Winfrey said no. When he asked Senator John H. Glenn (D-Ohio), a former astronaut, Glenn also said no. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell had the same answer.

Three rejections in hand, and the spring semester already underway, Simpson returned to the committee.

"I said, 'Now, who do you want me to try to track down.' They said, 'You,'" Simpson says. "It wouldn't matter to me if I were 10th choice...I said I'd be honored to do it."

While many say Simpson will bring the right blend of humor and thought to the Class Day speech, some members of this year's graduating class wonder why the College was unable to find someone more renowned, admits Class Marshal Jante C. Santos '99.

The College's list of previous Class Day speakers reads like a Who's Who of famous people. It includes renowned humanitarian Mother Theresa, broadcaster Walter Cronkite and home run king Hank Aaron.

This year's difficulty in getting speakers to accept an invitation is casting a spotlight on how the Class Day speaker selection process relegates Harvard to the unfamiliar position of underdog.

Administrators say Harvard's policy of beginning the search process in the fall often means that speakers' schedules are already full when they are asked.

"These are people whose lives fill up six to eight months in advance," Simpson says. And in recent years, prominent figures have had more obligations, making Harvard's task difficult.

Perhaps just as important, Harvard does not pay or give honorary degrees to Class Day speakers, while many other institutions do.

Coming from Behind

Harvard begins the process for selecting Class Day speaker candidates after the class marshals are chosen in early October.

Two of the class marshals chair the committee that plans Class Day and oversees the selection of the speaker. This year's faculty advisers to the committee were University Marshal Richard M. Hunt, Director of the Harvard Foundation S. Allen Counter and Simpson.

At the outset, each House submits a list of speaker choices compiled by its students--a list that typically ranges from Kermit the Frog to more serious candidates such as Simpson.

The committee then begins to invite the candidates, starting with the most-requested speaker--this year, Winfrey.

"Jesse 'The Body' [Ventura] rode the fence of a serious or funny suggestion," says Nicholas K. Davis '99, co-chair of the committee. "We definitely considered it."

The committee considers all nominees, even those unlikely to accept, such as President Bill Clinton, who this year spoke at the U.S. Air Force Academy to recognize the Air Force role in the Yugoslavian bombing campaign.

"The people that people put on their class lists are very famous," Santos says.

Although this nomination process gives the students a real voice, it also slows down the invitation process.

The committee can only invite one candidate at a time and must wait for each candidate to decline before moving to its next choice.

"You can only invite one person at a time. You don't want two people to say yes,'" Santos says. "It makes it a lot harder. You just have to wait."

"It is almost always scheduling" that is the problem, Davis says. "It's a complicated time to get people."

Scheduling has also proven a problem for Harvard's other schools.

This year, the Kennedy School of Government could not confirm until early May that Rev. Jesse L. Jackson would be its Class Day speaker.

Time and again, the Kennedy School has invited world leaders such as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and former President Jimmy Carter, but to no avail.

"There are some people who just don't come," says Catherine A. McLaughlin, deputy director of the IOP.

Meeting its Match?

Besides the selection process, there are more reasons why securing the most famous speakers is one area where Harvard cannot always use its name to get what it wants.

Other institutions may lose students to Harvard, but they present a formidable challenge in drawing famous politicians, entertainers, writers and scientists to speak.

"More organizations are jumping on by marketing their event with a speaker who has some notoriety," says Diane Jellis, associate director for classes and reunions.

Unlike Harvard, many universities pay their speakers, providing them an honorarium in addition to the honor.

"They always have trouble because we don't pay honoraria," says Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III.

Although Harvard has always conferred an honorary degree on its commencement speaker, it gives no such recognition to Class Day speakers.

Santos says that, while awarding honoraria might attract more famous speak- ers, it would ruin the spirit of Class Day.

"There are a lot of people out there who woulddo it if they received an honorary degree," Santossays. "But Class Day is about giving the classinspiration. It's the one event everybody goesto."

In addition to these disadvantages, there aresome who simply prefer other places to Harvard.

After scheduling difficulties, "the second mostpopular reason is that some people are of themindset that...they would rather go to a schoolthat has more trouble" attracting speakers, Davissays. "Harvard students have so many opportunitiesto have celebrities visit."

And for many luminaries, it is preferable tospeak at Commencement, which typically eclipsesClass Day in importance.

"If the person is a really well-known person,they would expect to be the commencement speaker,"Hunt says.

Administrators and students have suggestionsfor making Harvard more competitive in theselection process.

"I think what we'll try to do...is to convincethem that there are a list of people who are justgoing to say no," Jellis says. "We should just tryto steer clear of them unless we have the personalcontact."

Or, say others, if Harvard students want themost famous they must start the search in thespring.

"They're looking for a national figure. Theonly way to do that is for the class next year tosit down now," Simpson says.

But Jellis says there are no plans to alter thepractice of electing class marshals at thebeginning of the fall semester. Without electingthe marshals any earlier, it is unlikely that theselection process will get off to a much quickerstart.

A Simpson Class Day

Fortunately, Harvard has its own its own cadreof luminaries who can serve as speakers if themore famous speakers can not come.

"There comes a time around March when you needto have something," Santos says. "Time was runningdown, but we had a number of really good choiceswithin the University."

Simpson is not the only Kennedy Schoolaffiliate speaking this year.

David Gergen, adviser to four U.S. presidentsand a public service professor at the KennedySchool, is the Class Day speaker at Harvard LawSchool.

Although many at Harvard would prefer toattract the most famous speakers for Class Day,some say in-house speakers like Simpson create ahomey atmosphere for the day.

"The class gets to celebrate itself with a lotof people who are notable on campus," Davis says.

And many insist that Simpson was more than aconvenient choice. Students had requested him inthe initial House surveys.

"People had been pleased with speeches thatthey heard he had given in the past," Davis says.

Many praise Simpson and the way he combineshumor with an ability to express the complexitiesof life. They view him as a politician withintegrity and skill.

"A lot of the administrators here at theCollege said he'd be a great speaker," Jellissays.

In the end, what speakers are able to say tothe graduating class may be more important thantheir personal fame.

Harvard's Cambridge neighbor, MIT, chosebrothers Thomas L. Magliozzi and Raymond F.Magliozzi, hosts of the National Public Radio(NPR) program "Car Talk," to speak at itscommencement, which took place last Friday.

Although the brothers' show is popular, somesaw their selection as unconventional. Past MITspeakers include President Clinton and UnitedNations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

MIT President Charles M. Vest says thebrothers' ability to relate to the experiences ofMIT undergraduates was one of the major reasonsthey were chosen.

Both brothers, known to the American public as"Click and Clack," are MIT graduates.

MIT students say the speakers brought a newperspective to the school.

"You don't have to change the world throughpolitics," says Eric Krevice Prebys, who graduatedfrom MIT this spring. "You can just be a funny guyon the radio.

"There are a lot of people out there who woulddo it if they received an honorary degree," Santossays. "But Class Day is about giving the classinspiration. It's the one event everybody goesto."

In addition to these disadvantages, there aresome who simply prefer other places to Harvard.

After scheduling difficulties, "the second mostpopular reason is that some people are of themindset that...they would rather go to a schoolthat has more trouble" attracting speakers, Davissays. "Harvard students have so many opportunitiesto have celebrities visit."

And for many luminaries, it is preferable tospeak at Commencement, which typically eclipsesClass Day in importance.

"If the person is a really well-known person,they would expect to be the commencement speaker,"Hunt says.

Administrators and students have suggestionsfor making Harvard more competitive in theselection process.

"I think what we'll try to do...is to convincethem that there are a list of people who are justgoing to say no," Jellis says. "We should just tryto steer clear of them unless we have the personalcontact."

Or, say others, if Harvard students want themost famous they must start the search in thespring.

"They're looking for a national figure. Theonly way to do that is for the class next year tosit down now," Simpson says.

But Jellis says there are no plans to alter thepractice of electing class marshals at thebeginning of the fall semester. Without electingthe marshals any earlier, it is unlikely that theselection process will get off to a much quickerstart.

A Simpson Class Day

Fortunately, Harvard has its own its own cadreof luminaries who can serve as speakers if themore famous speakers can not come.

"There comes a time around March when you needto have something," Santos says. "Time was runningdown, but we had a number of really good choiceswithin the University."

Simpson is not the only Kennedy Schoolaffiliate speaking this year.

David Gergen, adviser to four U.S. presidentsand a public service professor at the KennedySchool, is the Class Day speaker at Harvard LawSchool.

Although many at Harvard would prefer toattract the most famous speakers for Class Day,some say in-house speakers like Simpson create ahomey atmosphere for the day.

"The class gets to celebrate itself with a lotof people who are notable on campus," Davis says.

And many insist that Simpson was more than aconvenient choice. Students had requested him inthe initial House surveys.

"People had been pleased with speeches thatthey heard he had given in the past," Davis says.

Many praise Simpson and the way he combineshumor with an ability to express the complexitiesof life. They view him as a politician withintegrity and skill.

"A lot of the administrators here at theCollege said he'd be a great speaker," Jellissays.

In the end, what speakers are able to say tothe graduating class may be more important thantheir personal fame.

Harvard's Cambridge neighbor, MIT, chosebrothers Thomas L. Magliozzi and Raymond F.Magliozzi, hosts of the National Public Radio(NPR) program "Car Talk," to speak at itscommencement, which took place last Friday.

Although the brothers' show is popular, somesaw their selection as unconventional. Past MITspeakers include President Clinton and UnitedNations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

MIT President Charles M. Vest says thebrothers' ability to relate to the experiences ofMIT undergraduates was one of the major reasonsthey were chosen.

Both brothers, known to the American public as"Click and Clack," are MIT graduates.

MIT students say the speakers brought a newperspective to the school.

"You don't have to change the world throughpolitics," says Eric Krevice Prebys, who graduatedfrom MIT this spring. "You can just be a funny guyon the radio.