University News | May 22, 2012

Harvard Commencement week 2012: events for Tuesday, May 22

Phi Beta Kappa exercises; Baccalaureate address

**Wet chairs in Harvard Yard Tuesday morning. Rain is forecast for Tuesday, thunderstorms for Wednesday, and sun on Thursday.** | Harvard Magazine / MF

Events for Tuesday, May 22, include the Phi Beta Kappa Literary Exercises, with poet Kay Ryan and orator Derek Bok, and the Baccalaureate Service for the College class of 2012. For those not able to attend, both ceremonies will be broadcast live on WHRB.

The Phi Beta Kappa ceremony begins at 11 a.m. in Sanders Theatre. View a list of Phi Beta Kappa members of the Class of 2012 and earlier classes, dating back to the 1960s.

The Baccalaureate Service begins at 2 p.m. at Memorial Church; afterward, seniors will gather for their class picture on the Widener steps. The service will be broadcast live in Tercentenary Theatre; admission to the church is limited strictly to degree candidates.

You might also like

Stone building with tall columns, steps leading up, and a flag atop under a cloudy sky.

The University will compensate families of those whose remains were sold and establish a scholarship to honor anatomical donors.

Red brick building with large windows and greenery, set against a bright blue sky.

After a final round of layoffs, University leaders say 165 staff jobs were eliminated across the division.

University Hall with steps and the John Harvard statue, surrounded by trees and a grassy lawn.

Long-discussed reorganization includes layoffs and the end of the Dudley Community.

Most popular

Two laboratory researchers, one seated and one standing, in a scientific lab with equipment.

The stakes are high for this husband and wife: one of them will die if they don’t find a cure.

The views of Charles William Eliot and Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (whose images follow) aided the descendants of immigrants in keeping out new immigrants, as depicted in Joseph Keppler’s 1893 political cartoon “Looking Backward,” from Puck.

Harvard's eugenics era

When academics embraced scientific racism, immigration restrictions, and the suppression of “the unfit”

White House and Harvard University buildings split diagonally with contrasting colors.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Explore More From Current Issue

Caricature of a young man in front of red doors, wearing a green striped sweater.

Harvard History

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

Football

Despite personnel losses, Crimson captain Xaviah Bascon is upbeat about the 2026 season.

Modern building with large glass windows, surrounded by greenery and pedestrians.

University News

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026