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

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.  

Singer Elisa Smith’s whiskey-soaked voice and subversive feminism is part of the genre’s urban shift.

Before a data center is built, Francesca Dominici and Le Xie aim to predict costs to the grid, the air, and the neighbors next door.

Explore More From Current Issue

A profile illustration of a man surrounded by colorful, whimsical text in multiple languages.

For both American and international students, growing up is like learning a new language.

Two figures stand before a large, colorful pixelated face against a yellow background.

Harvard scientists identify hundreds of genes under selective pressure.

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.