April 25, 2011

Advice from Mother Teresa on Class Day 1982 at Harvard

The class of 1982 hears from "the angel of Calcutta."

**Mother Teresa delivers the Commencement address at Harvard University on June 10, 1982** | Photograph by Joe Wrinn/Harvard News Office

Some senior classes opt for levity, or substance cloaked in levity, from their Class Day guest speaker. The class of 1982 chose to hear a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who may one day be named a saint. Mother Teresa, who founded the Society of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta in 1950, urged her audience to work for Jesus and to live virtuous lives themselves, and received a long, standing ovation from the unusually large crowd in Tercentenary Theatre.

For more on Mother Teresa’s speech, see this PDF from the July-August 1982 issue.

A transcription of the speech has been posted by Saint Catherine Labouré Church in San Diego.

Most popular

Bronze statue of a seated figure holding a book, with a campus setting in the background.

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

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

A football player in white uniform evades tackle from red jersey opponents on the field.

Crimson Football: Harvard 41, Cornell 29

Erasing an early deficit, the unbeaten Crimson roll to an Ivy win.

Tall modern skyscraper against a clear blue sky, viewed from below.

Harvard Stabilizes Finances With Strong Endowment Returns, Philanthropy

Small operating surplus is dwarfed by reduced federal research support and endowment tax liabilities.

Explore More From Current Issue

Black and white portrait of a woman with medium-length hair, smiling softly.

Alumni

The outgoing executive director and Harvard Business School graduate went from dancing The Nutcracker to growing a ballet company.

Panoramic view of Harvard University with autumn foliage and a river under a cloudy sky.

University News

The University is expanding industry ties and investing its own funds to support research, but neither will replace lost federal dollars.

Ancient Egyptian painted sarcophagus with detailed hieroglyphs and a woman's face.

Museums & Collections

A rare Egyptian mummy case is on display at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.