The Exemplars

Philip Keene Photograph by Jim Harrison Bertha Offenbach Fineberg Photograph by Jim Harrison The oldest graduates of Harvard and...

Philip Keene
Photograph by Jim Harrison
Bertha Offenbach Fineberg
Photograph by Jim Harrison

The oldest graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe present on Commencement day, who led the alumni pararde into Tercentenary Theatre before the Harvard Alumni Association’s annual meeting, were 96-year-old Bertha Offenbach Fineberg ’31, M.D., of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and 102-year-old Philip Keene ’25, S.M. ’40, of Middletown, Connecticut, who was making his fourth appearance in that role and celebrating his eightieth reunion.

According to University records, the oldest alumni, apart from Keene, include: James G. Jameson ’22, Ed.M ’26, 105, of Orlando, Florida; Albert H. Gordon ’23, M.B.A. ’25, LL.D. ’77, 103, of New York City; Marion Coppelman Epstein ’24, 102, of Boston; M. Louise Macnair ’25, 102, of Cambridge; Halford J. Pope ’25, M.B.A. ’27, 101, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; Edward Gipstein ’27, 100, of New London, Connecticut; Marjorie B. Walden ’26, 99, of Needham, Massachusetts; Stanley Kunitz ’26, A.M. ’27, 99, of New York City; Rose Depoyan ’26, Ed.M. ’38, 99, of Brockton, Massachusetts; Saul L. Fox ’27, M.D. ’31, 98, of West Hollywood—and Walter J. Seward, J.D. ’24, 108, of West Orange, New Jersey.

 

Most popular

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Explore More From Current Issue

Mercy Otis Warren in period attire writes at a desk by candlelight, surrounded by books.

The Woman Who Penned the Case for War

Mercy Otis Warren’s poetry and plays incited the Patriot movement.

A woman in glasses gestures while speaking to two attentive listeners at a table.

How to Cook with Wild Plants

From wild greens spanakopita to rose petal panna cotta, forager and chef Ellen Zachos makes one-of-a-kind meals.

Alene Anello smiling surrounded by four chickens in a natural outdoor setting.

This Harvard-Trained Lawyer Fights for the Rights of Chickens

Alene Anello wants to apply animal cruelty laws to birds raised for meat.