Commencement |

Harvard Commencement exercises 2019

Guidelines for this year’s May gala

From The March-April 2019 Issue

commencement.harvard.edu

Since 1642, with just nine graduating students, Harvard’s Commencement Exercises have brought together the community unlike any other tradition still observed in the University. Degree candidates with family and friends, faculty and administrators who supported them, and alumni from around the world are anticipated to participate in our 368th Commencement Exercises this spring. To accommodate the increasing number of people planning to attend, we ask that any interested readers carefully review the guidelines governing ticketing, regalia, security precautions, and other important details, which are available online at https://commencement.harvard.edu/ticket-information.

Commencement Day Overview

The Morning Exercises begin when the academic procession is seated in Tercentenary Theatre. Three student orators deliver addresses, and the dean of each School introduces the candidates for their respective degrees, which the president then confers. Toward the conclusion of the ceremony the graduating seniors are asked to rise, and their degrees are conferred on them as a group by the president. Honorary Degrees are then conferred before the Exercises are adjourned.

Diploma-granting Ceremonies and Luncheons: Graduates and their guests return to their respective undergraduate Houses or graduate and professional Schools. Harvard and Radcliffe College alumni/ae who have celebrated their 50th Reunion are invited to join the Tree Spread luncheon, Harvard and Radcliffe Reunions gather for class-based luncheons, while all other alumni may pre-purchase tickets for boxed lunches at the Alumni Spread in Harvard Yard.

The Afternoon Program features an address by Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow and the Commencement speaker, Chancellor Angela Merkel. Officially called the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association, this program includes the Overseer and HAA director election results, presentations of the Harvard Medals, and remarks by the HAA president.

—The Harvard Commencement Office and The Harvard Alumni Association

Published in the March-April 2019 print issue under the headline “Harvard University’s 368th Commencement Exercises,” in the Alumni section.

Related topics
Commencement

You might also like

Commencement Week Events

Harvard Commencement Events 2026

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim to Speak at Harvard in June

The American Navy SEAL, born to immigrants, is a doctor and a space traveler.

Conan O’Brien Named Harvard’s 2026 Commencement Speaker

The comedian, host, and 1985 graduate will deliver remarks at the May 28 ceremony. 

Most popular

How physical appearance influences authority

Cherubic features benefit black male CEOs, but not other groups, underscoring the complexity of social disadvantage.

At Harvard Talk, Retired Supreme Court Justice Breyer Defends Shadow Docket

The current law professor also spoke about affirmative action, partisanship, and the limits of “bright-line rules.”

A Right Way to Teach Reading?

The science, art, and politics of teaching an essential skill

House - Email

Explore More From Current Issue

Brick archway with a sandy base, surrounded by wooden planks and boxes in a dim space.

Harvard Celebrates America’s 250th

How the American Revolution Freed a Future Abolitionist

Darby Vassall, an enslaved child freed after the Battle of Bunker Hill, dedicated his life to fighting for liberty.

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

Harvard in the Crosshairs

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

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

Illustration of two students in Harvard hoodies, one speaking animatedly to a phone, the other reading, looking annoyed.

Undergraduate Column

We’re All Harvard Influencers, Like It or Not

In the digital age, it’s hard to avoid playing into the mythology.