Overseers Dis Gov

It is the disquieting habit of the compilers of the twenty-fifth-anniversary reports of College classes to publish a photograph of a class...

It is the disquieting habit of the compilers of the twenty-fifth-anniversary reports of College classes to publish a photograph of a class member as a senior and another one showing how he or she looks today. Stephen Michael O'Donnell '76, who has made his living mostly as a TV writer, notably for David Letterman, sent in the up-to-date photograph (right) and began his report as follows: "How much lovelier to begin this summary with 'I have discarded...' As in 'I have discarded prejudices, harmful delusions, material possessions,' etc. But the truth is that what I've been doing feels more like 'accumulation.' I have accumulated books, flesh, odd warts, moles and blemishes, souvenir coffee mugs, heartaches, Bic pens, CDs, videotapes, computer disks, good art, goofy art, some happy memories, and some real stinging hard ones....Sometimes, here in my forties, I feel like some wisdom and depth is accruing to me. (Accumulating?) Other times, I feel like the same old dope."  

Most popular

Harvard Faculty Approve a Cap on A Grades

Reforms to reduce grade inflation will take effect in the fall of 2027.

Harvard Alumni and Faculty Win Six Pulitzer Prizes

Winners include Jill Lepore, Bess Wohl, Pablo Torre, and Hannah Natanson.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

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

Explore More From Current Issue

A colorful hummingbird hovering by vibrant flowers.

Discoveries

Short takes on cutting-edge research

Katie Benzan stands on a basketball court holding a ball, with a hoop in the background.

How Women Are Changing the NBA

From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.

Colorful illustrated map of Colonial Cambridge and the Harvard College campus featuring buildings of the campus, houses, Cambridge Common, and the Charles River

250 Years Ago, Harvard Was Home to a Revolution

A look at the sights, sounds, and characters that put the University on the frontlines of history