Harvard 2012 alumni gifts break records

New records are announced on Commencement afternoon.

The thirty-fifth-reunion class of 1977 broke the all-time reunion-gift record by raising “an extraordinary $68.7 million” in contributions as of May 23, reported University Treasurer James F. Rothenberg ’68, M.B.A. ’70, during the HAA’s annual meeting. “That number even makes the president of Harvard smile a little bit,” he joked at the podium. “And, by the way, there are still five weeks remaining in their campaign.”

Other reunion classes also did well. The class of 1962, celebrating its fiftieth reunion, is poised to reach its class gifts and participation goals, and the class of 1987, celebrating its twenty-fifth reunion, “is on track to exceed three goals: total gift, immediate use, and participation,” Rothenberg said. The University declined to release exact figures for these classes, and for the senior class gift.

All alumni fundraisers were publicly thanked for their hard work, with a special nod to Paul Weissman ’52, who has chaired his class’s reunion-gift committee for 60 consecutive years—another Harvard all-time record.

Related topics

You might also like

How J. Max Bond Jr. Honored Black History Through Architecture

A new book explores the Harvard-trained architect’s vision and impact, from Ground Zero to the Smithsonian.

How Facebook Escaped Harvard

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.

Two Scientists Bring the Laboratory to the Stage

The play Spare Parts is a contemporary fable about the quest to live forever.

Most popular

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

Harvard Couple Aim to Cure Prion Diseases

The stakes are high for this husband and wife: one of them will die if they don’t find a cure.

Explore More From Current Issue

Portrait of a man in a denim shirt beside a blue book cover for "Gretal and the Great War" featuring an illustration of a leg holding an army helmet..

The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.

A vase of yellow flowers on a table next to an orange and a glass.

Harvard Art Museums restores a rare glimpse of an American master.

Three hands hold smartphones displaying social media profiles with likes and hearts.

Tell us about how social media impacts your daily life.