Present Memories



During the class of 1972’s thirty-fifth reunion in June, about 80 people showed up for a talk and animated discussion spurred by this April 1969 photograph of students gathered on the steps of University Hall. Daniel Gensler ’72, one of those pictured, had invited classmates and others in the image to consider getting together to reminisce; he reports: “I asked if there was interest in people identifying themselves or posing for another photo, but that went nowhere after someone joked about ‘a man going around taking names,’ a line from a song from the ’60s that referred to the political paranoia then. [But the original picture] helped to bring back and enliven all those memories, and their relevance.”

You might also like

A Call for Precision

Harvard Kennedy School researchers on how to report pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protests accurately 

Bearing Witness to Terrorism

Harvard Chabad, IDF, and Bill Ackman screen October 7 Hamas footage

More Housing in Allston

Toward another apartment complex on Harvard-owned land

Most popular

Why Can’t We Move?

Rosabeth Moss Kanter on solving America’s infrastructure problems

“Our American History”

Original works by “Golden Age” illustrators on view in Newport, Rhode Island

Sea Sex

Channeling Valentine’s Day—and sustainable oceans—via sexy sea creatures

More to explore

Illustration of a box containing a laid-off fossil fuel worker's office belongings

Preparing for the Energy Transition

Expect massive job losses in industries associated with fossil fuels. The time to get ready is now.

Apollonia Poilâne standing in front of rows of fresh-baked loaves at her family's flagship bakery

Her Bread and Butter

A third-generation French baker on legacy loaves and the "magic" of baking

Illustration that plays on the grade A+ and the term Ai

AI in the Academy

Generative AI can enhance teaching and learning but augurs a shift to oral forms of student assessment.