The Senior Celebrants of 2009

Harvard’s most venerable alumni

Frances Pass Addelson

The oldest graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe present on Commencement day were Frances Pass Addelson ’30, 100, of Brookline, Massachusetts, and George Barner ’29, Ed ’32, L ’33, 100, of Kennebunk, Maine. Both were recognized at the afternoon ceremony by HAA president Walter H. Morris Jr. 

Photograph by Stu Rosner

George Barner

According to University records, the oldest alumni include: M. Louise Macnair ’25, 106, of Cambridge; Halford J. Pope ’25, M.B.A. ’27, 105, of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; Edward Gipstein ’27, 104, of New London, Connecticut; Rose Depoyan ’26, Ed.M. ’38, 103, of Brockton, Massachusetts; Edith M. Van Saun ’29, 102, of Sykesville, Maryland; Amelia T. Rieman ’29, 102, of Tucson, Arizona; Priscilla Bartol Grace ’58, 102, of Woods Hole, Massachusetts; George H. O’Sullivan ’30, 101, of Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts; Ruth Smith ’29, 101, of New York City; and J. Mack Swigert ’30, 101, of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Related topics

You might also like

A History of Harvard Magazine

Harvard’s independent alumni magazine—at 127 years old 

A New Prescription for Youth Mental Health

Kenyan entrepreneur Tom Osborn ’20 reimagines care for a global crisis.

Most popular

The Life of a Harvard Spy

Richard Skeffington Welch’s illustrious—and clandestine—career in the CIA

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

Harvard Alumni Affairs Databases Breached

The University is investigating the cyberattack, which may have compromised the personal information of alumni, donors, students, faculty, and staff.

Explore More From Current Issue

Professor David Liu smiles while sitting at a desk with colorful lanterns and a figurine in the background.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.

People gather near the John Harvard Statue in front of University Hall surrounded by autumn trees.

A Changed Harvard Faces the Future

After a tense summer—and with no Trump settlement in sight—the University continues to adapt.