Harvard's oldest living alumni

Harvard’s oldest living graduates

Lillian (Sher) Sugarman  and Robert F. Rothschild

Lillian (Sher) Sugarman and Robert F. Rothschild | Photographs by Jim Harrison

The oldest graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe present on Commencement day were Lillian (Sher) Sugarman ’37, 98, of Swampscott, Massachusetts, who was accompanied by her grandson, Peter S. Cahn ’96, RI ’09, and Robert F. Rothschild ’39, 95, of New York City, celebrating his seventy-fifth class reunion, who came with his wife, Margaret Rothschild ’65. Both were recognized during the afternoon ceremony by HAA president Catherine Gellert ’93. According to the active University alumni records, the other oldest alumni include: Edith M. Van Saun ’29, 107, of Sykesville, Maryland; Bertha O. Fineberg ’31, 105, of Gloucester, Massachusetts; Mary Anglemyer ’31, 104, of Medford, New Jersey; Erhart R. Muller ’32, 104, of Harvard, Massachusetts; Louise J. Wells ’32, 104, of Harwich, Massachusetts; Helena W. Phillips ’33, 102, of West Palm Beach; Clarence M. Agress ’33, 102, of Santa Barbara; Mary Grossman MacEwan ’33, 102, of Tucson; Anne Sharples Frantz ’33, 102, of Peterborough, New Hampshire; and William Peters Blanc ’34, 101, of Sag Harbor, New York. 

Related topics

You might also like

Harvard Alumni Win Two 2026 Nobel Prizes

Karl Deisseroth revolutionized neuroscience. Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has adjudicated cases in international courts concerning genocide.

These Harvard Graduates Are Candidates for Sainthood

For advocacy and benevolence, three late alumni are reportedly in line for the Catholic Church’s highest honor.

Boston Ballet’s Ming Min Hui on Changing Audiences and Timothée Chalamet

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

Most popular

To Promote Healthy Habits in Patients, Start With the Doctors

Why Harvard Medical School is training physicians to think more like coaches

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

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

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

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

Explore More From Current Issue

Collage of three photos of an athlete in a triathlon: one swimming, one cycling, one running, in sports attire.

The Harvard triathlete and coach says she helps normal people to “do extraordinary things.”

Illustration of a phone, book, hourglass, weights, and a hand reaching for a device on a blue background.

Your thoughts on how to regulate the platforms—and stop using them so much

Colorful icons representing sleep, fruit, speech, and a mind with a water lily.

Check back soon to take our survey!