Alumni
Seven Board Members Resign From Harvard BGLTQ Alumni Group Over Diversity Dispute
Seven board members of the Harvard Gender and Sexuality Caucus, an alumni-led organization serving BGLTQ University affiliates, resigned earlier this month after controversy arose over the board’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
New Harvard Graduates No Longer Eligible For Alumni Email Addresses As University Explores Alternative Services
The Harvard Alumni Association discontinued the ability to create new @alumni.harvard.edu email forwarding accounts last month, leaving this year’s graduates unable to obtain the email handle which many say is important to job searches and networking.
Five New Members Elected to Board of Overseers, Including One Harvard Forward Candidate
Harvard alumni elected five new members to the Board of Overseers — the University’s second-highest governing body — including one candidate backed by the climate action and racial justice campaign Harvard Forward.
Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Bill Lee Lauds ‘Really Positive’ Fundraising Year Despite Pandemic
Harvard Corporation senior fellow William F. Lee ’72 said in an interview Wednesday that the University expects high fundraising returns by the end of the fiscal year despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
More Than 100 Radcliffe College Alumnae Protest New ‘Shorthand’ Name For Radcliffe Institute
More than 100 Radcliffe College alumnae signed onto letters protesting a decision by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study to adopt the vernacular name Harvard Radcliffe Institute earlier this year.
Podcast: The River Rundown Ep. 5 with Tennessee Titans TE Anthony Firkser '17
In Episode 5 of The River Rundown, we talk with Tennessee Titans tight end Anthony Firkser '17 about his career in Cambridge, his difficult journey to make an NFL roster, and his success with the Titans so far these last three years. We touch on Firk's memorable individual performance against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the playoffs, and the Harvard football fraternity in the NFL.
The River Rundown Ep. 4 Teaser with Milwaukee Brewers Pitcher Brent Suter '12
On Episode 4, host Amir Mandani '21 sit down with Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brent Suter ’12 to talk about his path from college, through the minors, to the major leagues, and his passion for environmental sustainability and Earth Day. After spending several seasons in a hybrid role as a starter and a reliever, Suter has thrived out of the bullpen this season, already registering two wins and pitching to a 2.87 ERA for Milwaukee—who are first in the division. Listen to the full 26-minute podcast episode on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts
Podcast: The River Rundown Ep. 4 with Milwaukee Brewers Pitcher Brent Suter '12
In Episode 4, we sit down with Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brent Suter ’12 to talk about his path from college, through the minors, to the major leagues, and his passion for environmental sustainability and Earth Day. After spending several seasons in a hybrid role as a starter and a reliever, Suter has thrived out of the bullpen this season, already registering two wins and pitching to a 2.87 ERA for Milwaukee—who are first in the division.
Helena Foulkes to Serve as Harvard Board of Overseers President
Helena Buonanno Foulkes ’86, a former corporate executive who has held top positions at CVS Health and served as CEO of the Hudson’s Bay Company, will serve as the president of Harvard’s Board of Overseers for the next year, the University announced Monday.
Stephen E. Sachs Named Harvard Law School’s Inaugural Antonin Scalia Professor of Law
Stephen E. Sachs ’02 — a prominent legal scholar of constitutional law, civil procedure, and conflict of laws — will become Harvard Law School’s inaugural Antonin Scalia Professor of Law as of July 1, the Law School announced Wednesday.
Crimson Connections: Walter Isaacson ’74 and Evan W. Thomas III ’73
Walter S. Isaacson ’74 and Evan W. Thomas III ’73 met briefly at Harvard but became close after working together at Time Magazine. They began their accomplished media careers as print journalists after both having written for The Harvard Crimson. In 1986, the two co-wrote a book profiling key players in post-World War II American foreign policy. Since then, they have individually authored definitive biographies of figures including Steve Jobs, Robert F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Richard Nixon, and Leonardo da Vinci. Filmed October 19, 2020. Hosted by Andrew W. Liang and Samuel W. Zwickel. Edited by Ryan N. Gajarawala.
Crimson Connections: Walter Isaacson ’74 and Evan W. Thomas III ’73
In the final episode of "Crimson Connections", we spoke to Walter S. Isaacson '74 and Evan W. Thomas III '73. They met briefly at Harvard but became close after working together at Time Magazine. They began their accomplished media careers as print journalists after both having written for The Harvard Crimson. In 1986, the two co-wrote a book profiling key players in post-World War II American foreign policy. Since then, they have individually authored definitive biographies of figures including Steve Jobs, Robert F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, Richard Nixon, and Leonardo da Vinci.
Crimson Connections: Andrei Shleifer ’82 and J. Bradford DeLong ’82
In the next episode of "Crimson Connections", we spoke to Andrei Shleifer ’82 and J. Bradford DeLong ’82. As Weld Hall freshman roommates, they spent evenings working through problem sets for Math 55 — among the most difficult undergraduate math courses in the country. Their collaborations soon turned to groundbreaking papers in behavioral finance and political economics.
Crimson Connections: Andrei Shleifer ’82 and J. Bradford DeLong ’82
As Weld Hall freshman roommates, Andrei Shliefer ’82 and J. Bradford DeLong ’82 spent evenings working through problem sets for Math 55 — among the most difficult undergraduate math courses in the country. Their collaborations soon turned to groundbreaking papers in behavioral finance and political economics. Now a Harvard economics professor, Shleifer has been awarded the coveted John Bates Clark Medal and is IDEAS’ top-ranked economist in the world. DeLong is an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and previously oversaw economic policy for the U.S. Treasury under President Clinton. Filmed October 7, 2020. Hosted by Andrew W. Liang and Samuel W. Zwickel. Edited by Ryan N. Gajarawala.
Crimson Connections: Mary Louise Kelly ’93 and Tracy P. Palandjian ’93
In the next episode of "Crimson Connections", we spoke to Mary Louise Kelly '93 and Tracy Palandjian '93. They aren’t in the same profession today, but their lives were intertwined as Harvard undergraduates. Kelly is now co-host of All Things Considered on NPR, and Palandjian is the co-founder of Social Finance, the impact investing nonprofit, and former vice chair of the Harvard Board of Overseers.
Crimson Connections: Mary Louise Kelly ’93 and Tracy P. Palandjian ’93
Mary Louise Kelly ’93 and Tracy Palandjian ’93 aren’t in the same profession today, but their lives were intertwined as Harvard undergraduates. Kelly is now co-host of All Things Considered on NPR, and Palandjian is the co-founder of Social Finance, the impact investing nonprofit, and former vice chair of the Harvard Board of Overseers. While in college, Kelly wrote for The Harvard Crimson, and Palandjian worked in the Eliot House Grille. The two were “honorary roommates” in the house—members of a tight-knit friend group that continues to gather annually. Filmed October 11, 2020.
Crimson Connections: Jill E. Abramson ’76 and Amy Wilentz ’76
Before Jill E. Abramson ’76 sat at the helm of The New York Times and Amy Wilentz ’76 embedded herself within post-Duvalier Haiti, the two’s college misadventures were the subject of a Commencement feature in The Harvard Crimson. These decorated journalists were Mather House roommates and kicked off their reporting careers as undergraduates — Wilentz for The Crimson and Abramson as a theatre critic for The Harvard Independent. They were part of the first cohort of women to live in Harvard Yard. Filmed October 2, 2020.
Crimson Connections: Jill E. Abramson ’76 and Amy Wilentz ’76
In the next episode of "Crimson Connections", we spoke to Jill E. Abramson '76 and Amy Wilentz '76. Before Abramson sat at the helm of The New York Times and Wilentz embedded herself within post-Duvalier Haiti, these decorated journalists were Mather House roommates and kicked off their reporting careers as undergraduates — Wilentz for The Crimson and Abramson as a theatre critic for The Harvard Independent. They were part of the first cohort of women to live in Harvard Yard.
Crimson Connections: Mark J. Penn ’76 and Doug E. Schoen ’74
A revolutionary approach to polling took Harvard buddies Mark J. Penn ’76 and Doug E. Schoen ’74 from the halls of The Harvard Crimson to South America, Israel, and New York City — just three of the locations where political leaders won stunning electoral triumphs based on their advice. Their collaboration culminated in half a decade as the architects of the polling-driven strategy of President Bill Clinton; the duo is commonly credited with helping Clinton to win re-election in 1996. Penn remembers giving the final poll result to the incumbent president on Air Force One on election night, and Doug recalls personally walking into Trump Tower to demand a check from future president Donald Trump, who in the 1980s was already surveying his political viability. Filmed December 10, 2020.
Crimson Connections: Mark J. Penn ’76 and Doug E. Schoen ’74
In the next episode of "Crimson Connections", we spoke to Mark J. Penn '76 and Doug E. Schoen '74. Their collaboration culminated in half a decade as the architects of the polling-driven strategy of President Bill Clinton; the duo is commonly credited with helping Clinton to win re-election in 1996. Penn remembers giving the final poll result to the incumbent president on Air Force One on election night, and Doug recalls personally walking into Trump Tower to demand a check from future president Donald Trump, who in the 1980s was already surveying his political viability.
Crimson Connections: William A. Ackman ’88 and Paul C. Hilal ’88
Two decades before their careers converged as activist hedge fund managers, William A. Ackman ’88 and Paul C. Hilal ’88 were arguing about everything, including the physics of weightlifting in a Harvard gym. Bill recalls that he was always right. He would not have submitted a timely Social Studies thesis, however, without a kick from Paul. The Lowell House roommates — who came to invest billions together at Pershing Square Capital Management — first met in their house dining hall after an introduction by a mutual friend. They reflect on finding fulfillment in finance and in the company of one another. Filmed October 15, 2020.
Crimson Connections: William A. Ackman ’88 and Paul C. Hilal ’88
In a new video series presented by The Crimson, we reunite two prominent figures who were roommates back at Harvard. Two decades before their careers converged as activist hedge fund managers, William A. Ackman ’88 and Paul C. Hilal ’88 were arguing about everything, including the physics of weightlifting in a Harvard gym.
Harvard College Applicants and Alumni Navigate Virtual Admissions Interviews
As the College conducts alumni interviews for applicants to the Class of 2025 virtually due to the pandemic, applicants and interviewers alike reported mixed feelings about the unconventional circumstance.