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.

Resculpting an Empire, Through Kitchen Scraps

Artists Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien turn a colonial symbol from Cambodia inside out.

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

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

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

Harvard Graduate Workers Begin Strike

In the second walkout in six months, union leaders call for better pay and benefits and a stronger grievance process.

Harvard Law School Announces $31.4 Million Donation

The school’s largest-ever gift comes after a year of record fundraising.

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.”

A woman jogs on a path beside a boy riding a bicycle, surrounded by trees.

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

Collage of book covers featuring various titles on a vibrant orange background.

These newly released novels, histories, and memoirs grapple with identity in all its forms.