At the Forefront

Frances Pass Addelson and Philip KeenePhotograph by Jane ReedThe oldest graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe present on Commencement day, who led...

Frances Pass Addelson and Philip Keene
Photograph by Jane Reed

The oldest graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe present on Commencement day, who led the alumni parade into Tercentenary Theatre before the HAA's annual meeting, were 101-year-old Philip Keene '25, S.M. '40, of Middletown, Connecticut, who was making his third appearance at the head of the line, and 95-year-old Frances Pass Addelson '30, of Brookline, Massachusetts. According to University records, the oldest alumni, apart from Keene, include: James G. Jameson '22, 104, of Orlando, Florida; Charles H. Warner '21, 104, of Berkeley, California; Albert H. Gordon '23, M.B.A. '25, LL.D. '77, 102, of New York City; Marion Coppelman Epstein '24, 101, of Boston; M. Louise Macnair '25, 101, of Cambridge; Eliot K. Bartholomew '25, 101, of Monarch Beach, California; Halford J. Pope '25, 100, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; A. Suzanne (Fawcett) Snow '25, 100, of Silvis, Illinois; and Hugh Langdon Elsbree '23, 100, of Saint Joseph, Missouri. Outstripping them all is Walter H. Seward, J.D. '24, of West Orange, New Jersey. Born on October 13, 1896, he is 107 years old.

     

Most popular

Harvard Faculty Approve a Cap on A Grades

Reforms to reduce grade inflation will take effect in the fall of 2027.

Harvard Alumni and Faculty Win Six Pulitzer Prizes

Winners include Jill Lepore, Bess Wohl, Pablo Torre, and Hannah Natanson.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Explore More From Current Issue

Three joyful graduates in caps and gowns celebrate together outdoors.

Your Harvard 2026 Commencement Week Guide

College reunions and Alumni Day will take place the following week

Four stylized magnifying glasses arranged in a gradient background with abstract patterns.

AI Hunts For Stolen Harvard Coins

A museum curator and a computer scientist track down ancient coins taken in a legendary heist.

Katie Benzan stands on a basketball court holding a ball, with a hoop in the background.

How Women Are Changing the NBA

From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.