At the Forefront

Frances Pass Addelson and Philip KeenePhotograph by Jane ReedThe oldest graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe present on Commencement day, who led...

Frances Pass Addelson and Philip Keene
Photograph by Jane Reed

The oldest graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe present on Commencement day, who led the alumni parade into Tercentenary Theatre before the HAA's annual meeting, were 101-year-old Philip Keene '25, S.M. '40, of Middletown, Connecticut, who was making his third appearance at the head of the line, and 95-year-old Frances Pass Addelson '30, of Brookline, Massachusetts. According to University records, the oldest alumni, apart from Keene, include: James G. Jameson '22, 104, of Orlando, Florida; Charles H. Warner '21, 104, of Berkeley, California; Albert H. Gordon '23, M.B.A. '25, LL.D. '77, 102, of New York City; Marion Coppelman Epstein '24, 101, of Boston; M. Louise Macnair '25, 101, of Cambridge; Eliot K. Bartholomew '25, 101, of Monarch Beach, California; Halford J. Pope '25, 100, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; A. Suzanne (Fawcett) Snow '25, 100, of Silvis, Illinois; and Hugh Langdon Elsbree '23, 100, of Saint Joseph, Missouri. Outstripping them all is Walter H. Seward, J.D. '24, of West Orange, New Jersey. Born on October 13, 1896, he is 107 years old.

     

Most popular

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

The Harvard graduate’s roundtable talk show touches on hot button issues from religion to sex. 

Harvard Art Museums restores a rare glimpse of an American master.

Explore More From Current Issue

Runners compete on a track, with a Harvard athlete in the foreground and others behind.

After a historic 2025-26 season, athletes eye NCAA championships.

Caricature of a young man in front of red doors, wearing a green striped sweater.

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

Smiling woman stands beside a large skull in a display cabinet.

From competing in youth gymnastics to studying tetrapods, the Harvard curator has always chased her curiosity.