Harvard's left-leaning history of commencement speakers amid debate about lack of viewpoint diversity
As Harvard University faces more criticism over its lack of conservative views on campus, the school continued a pattern of inviting more left-leaning commencement speakers for its students on Thursday.
Physician and author Abraham Verghese spoke to the graduating class of 2025 and used his speech to attack the "cascade of draconian government measures" from the Trump administration that have led to widespread "uncertainty, pain, and suffering." He also called on Harvard to stand firm against them.
"More people than you realize are grateful for Harvard for the example it has set," Verghese said. "By your clarity in affirming and courageously defending the essential values of this university, and indeed of this nation."
He also highlighted his status as an immigrant at a time when "legal immigrants and others who are lawfully in this country worry about being wrongly detained and even deported."
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References to ongoing political conflicts are not new in university commencement speeches, but at Harvard, the political comments have been largely left-leaning, with some of the examples being Democratic politicians themselves.
Since 2015, Harvard has hosted former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis and former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Garland’s address was largely spent warning 2020 and 2021 graduates about the threat to democracy following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
"At home, we are also facing threats to democracy – different in kind, but threats, nonetheless," Garland said in 2022. "We see them in efforts to undermine the right to vote. We see them in the violence and threats of violence that are directed at people because of who they are or how they serve the public. We saw them when a violent mob stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power."
Guests over the past decade have also included foreign leaders such as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. During their speeches, they touted legislative accomplishments and goals for issues like climate change and abortion.
"In the past ten years, we have passed laws that include everything from the introduction of gay marriage and the banning of conversion therapy, right through to embedding a 1.5 degree climate change target into law, banning military-style semi-automatics and assault rifles, and the decriminalization of abortion," Ardern boasted in 2022.
Journalists such as Maria Ressa and former Washington Post editor Martin Baron spoke to graduates about the dangers of "disinformation" and the importance of a free press.
"Facts and truth are matters of life and death. Misinformation, disinformation, delusions and deceit can kill," Baron said in 2020.
Other speakers included filmmaker Steven Spielberg, actor Tom Hanks and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, each of whom has had a history of supporting Democratic politicians.
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Harvard President Alan Garber recently addressed conservative viewpoints appearing unwelcome on campus and called it a "problem" that needs to be solved.
"Many members of our community have been alarmed that students have become increasingly reluctant to speak openly about controversial or uncomfortable topics, especially if they believe their personal views are unpopular. That’s a problem we need to solve," Garber said.
Harvard University announced after Verghese's speech that it had appointed alum Kannon K. Shanmugam, an attorney with "strong Republican ties," to the Harvard Corporation. In a statement to the Harvard Crimson, Garber expressed optimism that Shanmugam would provide "fresh perspectives and valuable insights."
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The spotlight on Harvard’s lack of viewpoint diversity comes as the Trump administration announces more cuts to federal funding for the school.