Class Day speaker Joshua Preven '91 tells how God created Harvard

From a cappella music to tenure, the real story as told by Joshua Preven ’91

Before he earned a master of philosophy degree from Cambridge University on a Fulbright scholarship, before he sampled an acting career with roles on Judging Amy, Six Feet Under, and other television shows, Joshua Preven ’91 delivered the Harvard Oration during the Class Day exercises for his fellow seniors. His revelations brought down the house.

Read the full text of his speech in this PDF from the July-August 1991 issue.

Most popular

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

As humanities shrink across higher education, one department is flourishing. Is its success a fluke, or a roadmap?

Three Harvard Alumni and a Former Postdoc Named MacArthur Fellows

A labor economist, an organic chemist, a physicist, and a memory researcher were honored with 2026 “genius” grants.

Harvard Stabilizes Finances With Strong Endowment Returns, Philanthropy

Small operating surplus is dwarfed by reduced federal research support and endowment tax liabilities.

House - Email

Explore More From Current Issue

A girl in blue boots stands on a cliff, holding a leash attached to a glowing, digital dog.

AI

Establishing legal responsibility for autonomous agents

Black and white portrait of a woman with medium-length hair, smiling softly.

Alumni

The outgoing executive director and Harvard Business School graduate went from dancing The Nutcracker to growing a ballet company.

Ancient Egyptian painted sarcophagus with detailed hieroglyphs and a woman's face.

Museums & Collections

A rare Egyptian mummy case is on display at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.