On the hot summer day of June 6, 2025, Harvard alumni from around the world and of all ages gathered in Harvard Yard to celebrate each other and the institution. Leading the alumni parade was Stanley G. “Stan” Karson ’48, A.M. ’50, K.S.G. ’50, proudly wearing a red stole that read, in white embroidered cursive, “Eldest Harvard College Alumnus 2025.” As he led the alumni from the John Harvard Statue to the front row of Tercentenary Theatre, he chatted alongside the eldest Radcliffe College alumna, Linda Cabot Black ’51.
“I’d rather be told I’m the youngest,” joked Karson, who will turn 100 later this month. “But, I have to take what I have, and I’m very pleased to be here. I’ve been looking forward to it. I try to come to as many Harvard events as I can.”
Karson, from Arlington, Virginia, studied political science and government during his time at Harvard College. He was an editor for The Harvard Crimson as well as a member of the Signet Society. After graduating from Harvard College and the Harvard Kennedy School, he directed the Center for Corporate Social Responsibility for 22 years. The Center worked with companies to help them recognize and respond to their host community’s needs.
“Harvard means a lot to me and has ever since I’ve been here in the class of ’48,” said Karson. “I think Harvard is the leading higher education institution in the country, maybe in the world, as far as I’m concerned. And I just feel very concerned right now that [there is] some attack by some political leaders here that [they] are only doing for their own benefit and not thinking about the future of their children.”
Looking back on what Harvard has meant to him, Karson said he is thankful for his time at the University and the career it allowed him to pursue. “Well, it means everything to me,” he said. “Because without the Harvard background, educational and cultural, I wouldn’t have achieved what I did achieve in my work, in my career.”
When asked about his fondest memories as a student in Cambridge, Karson replied, “Going to classes with some wonderful professors and meeting some great students and becoming friends.”
Prior to the ceremony, President Alan M. Garber greeted the eldest alumni and their family and friends in person.
Later, both Karson and Black were recognized by the audience, onstage and off, as both stood and waved to the crowd.
“I’ve been through this many times before,” said the 96-year-old Black, who had her daughter Sophie Cabot Black at her side throughout the morning’s festivities.
“And how are you feeling being at the head of the parade, or the eldest, if you will?” asked her daughter.
“At last, it’s about time.”
Black, who in her career worked for many years to keep the Boston Lyric Opera functioning, reminisced about her younger brother, a marshal at alumni events who dressed in top hats and suits per tradition. Black’s strong personality began to shine through when describing the scene.
“All these gentlemen with the top hats, they’re not impressing me at all,” said Black. (Her daughter couldn’t stifle a laugh).
“I have something juicy for you. I graduated from high school in 1947, and I wanted to go to an urban campus. Most of my classmates were going to Smith. And, of course, my father would rather die than have his daughter go to New York,” explained Black. “So, I fell into coming to Radcliffe.”
When Black arrived on campus, World War II had only recently ended. “All the parietal rules were kind of thrown out during the war. And we high school students were hearing [tour] stories of Radcliffe girls who had apartments and lovers,” exclaimed Black. She gasped theatrically with her mouth open wide, as her daughter laughed.
When asked about her concentration, Black said, “I had three older brothers and a father, and all kinds of relatives who all went to Harvard. My father knew everything about everything except two fields: music and the arts. So, I had to go into a field that he knew nothing about. And there was really only one, which was music.”
Black looked back fondly on her time at Radcliffe: a lover of music, she “had all the prizes that my high school had to give” for music and was able to meet “people who were very serious lifelong musicians” when she arrived at Radcliffe. A lover of history, Black explained she “went to Europe as fast as I could. I went to Europe every summer [while I was] at Radcliffe.”
The ceremony included a Radcliffe chorus, and Black sang with the crowd and singers, proudly donning her red “Eldest Radcliffe College Alumna 2025” stole.
Update, June 16, 2025: An earlier version of this story stated that Linda Cabot Black ’51 graduated from high school in 1957. Black graduated high school in 1947.
