Comic actress Amy Poehler to speak at Harvard College Class Day 2011

The comic actress's credits include Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live.

Amy Poehler

Comic actress Amy Poehler will be the Senior Class Day speaker on May 25. Currently a star of the NBC series Parks and Recreation, Poehler previously spent eight years in the cast of Saturday Night Live, where in one skit during the 2008 electoral campaign, she famously played then-Senator Hillary Clinton opposite Tina Fey's rendition of then-Governor Sarah Palin. Poehler also acted in the 2004 film comedy Mean Girls.

View a list of Class Day speakers since 1968.

You might also like

Harvard College Dean Deming Launches Podcast

In interviews with accomplished people, he traces their circuitous routes to success.

Graduate Student Workers End Strike

Union members return to work without a contract, but with plans to continue bargaining.

Ruth J. Simmons Receives the 2026 Radcliffe Medal

Michelle Obama, Drew Gilpin Faust, and others paid tribute to the pioneering educator during Harvard’s Radcliffe Day festivities. 

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 Faculty Approve a Cap on A Grades

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

Explore More From Current Issue

Portrait of a man with white hair, wearing a black coat, arms crossed, thoughtful expression.

The Framer Who Refused to Sign the Constitution

Harvard’s Elbridge Gerry helped draft the U.S. Constitution, but worried it might create a new monarch.

Historical battle scene with soldiers in red and blue uniforms, flags waving, chaotic action.

The Harvard-Trained Doctor Who Urged a Revolution

Before his heroic death, General Joseph Warren was dubbed “the greatest incendiary in all of America.”

Four stylized magnifying glasses arranged in a gradient background with abstract patterns.

AI Hunts For Stolen Harvard Coins

A museum curator and a computer scientist track down ancient coins taken in a legendary heist.