April 25, 2011

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

John Singleton Copley’s <i>A Boy with a Flying Squirrel,</i> 1765

Harvard art historian Jennifer Roberts teaches the value of immersive attention

Teaching students the value of deceleration and immersive attention

Students writing at desks on wheels, racing ahead of a stationary student at a fixed desk

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

A fragment of "in Just-" by E.E. Cummings; a set of words on the page, that say "and the goat-footed balloonMan whistles far"

The Rebellion of E.E. Cummings

Literary critics have found any number of ways to divide writers into opposing teams. Isaiah Berlin distinguished between...

Explore More From Current Issue

Black and white photo of a large mushroom cloud rising above the horizon.

Books & Literary Life

Open Book: A New Nuclear Age

Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy’s latest book looks at the rising danger of a new arms race.

An axolotl with a pale body and pink frilly gills, looking directly at the viewer.

Regenerative Biology’s Baby Steps

What axolotl salamanders could teach us about limb regrowth

Man in a suit holding a pen, smiling, seated at a desk with a soft background.

A Congenial Voice in Japanese-American Relations

Takashi Komatsu spent his life building bridges.