Commencement | May 25, 2023

Photographs from Commencement Week 2023

A gallery of Jim Harrison’s images from the unique Commencement celebration for the class of 2023

On assignment for Harvard Magazine, Jim Harrison has captured the emotions, traditions, and historic moments at Harvard Commencements for decades. During this 372nd Commencement—a return to near-normalcy, after the pandemic years—the large cohort of 2023 graduates (augmented by those who deferred admission or took leaves during the prior period of social isolation and online instruction) celebrated with family and friends, even as the University prepared for a transition from President Larry Bacow to his successor-elect, Claudine Gay. We’re delighted once again to present some of Jim’s favorite images from the week. Access our complete and continuing coverage here.

~The Editors

Phi Beta Kappa, Tuesday May 23, 2023

Baccalaureate, Tuesday May 23, 2023

ROTC Commissioning Ceremony Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Class Day, Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Commencement Day, Thursday, May 25, 2023

Alumni Day, June 2, 2023

You might also like

Graduates in caps and gowns celebrate joyfully, raising their hands in excitement.

Conan O’Brien headlines a star-studded cast

Older woman in a white outfit with a cane and red sash, alongside an elderly man in a gray suit holding a sign.

Harvard Honors Its Oldest Alumni

At 97 and 101, Linda Cabot Black ’51 and William “Bill” Dubey ’46 led the way on Alumni Day.

Smiling astronaut in blue jumpsuit speaking at a podium, colorful background.

Don’t Be A ‘Solo Superhero,’ Jonny Kim Tells Harvard Alumni

The astronaut, doctor, and Navy SEAL delivered keynote remarks on Alumni Day.

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.

Four men in a small boat struggle with rough water, one lying down and others watching.

The 1884 Cannibalism-at-Sea Case That Still Has Harvard Talking

The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens changed the course of legal history. Here’s why it’s been fodder for countless classroom debates.

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.

A flooded office scene with computers, a woman working, and a pink sunset backdrop.

Undergraduate Column

A College student’s attempt to recapture the romanticism of the workplace.

A woman with curly blonde hair sits casually against a stone wall, wearing a black top and jeans.

Chloe Chapin trains her Broadway costume designer’s eye on the history of men’s fashion.