Harvard Inaugurates Claudine Gay ‘88 as 30th President
By THE 145TH EXECUTIVE BOARD
On Friday, Sept. 29, Harvard University inaugurated Claudine Gay ‘88 as its 30th president. Gay is the first person of color and second woman to lead the institution.
The ceremony at Tercentenary Theatre began with a procession in which 185 universities and institutions from around the world were represented. It included invocations, musical performances, dance, and greetings from the Harvard community’s four pillars — students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Principal William Rawson attended the ceremony as a representative of the Academy, which was the only secondary school represented in the procession.
Gay marked her inauguration with a call to action, sharing her vision of a diverse community equal to the particular challenges of the world’s most daunting problems.
“The courage of this university — our resolve, against all odds — to question the world as it is and imagine and make a better one: It is what Harvard was made to do,” Gay said Friday. “By continually recommitting ourselves to our central purpose, with renewed vision and vigor, we advance the prospects of humankind.”
“Our stories − and the stories of the many trailblazers between us − are linked by this institution’s long history of exclusion and the long journey of resistance and resilience to overcome it,” Gay continued. “And because of the collective courage of all those who dared to create a different future, I stand before you on this stage able to say, ‘I am Claudine Gay, the president of Harvard University.’”
Gay urged students and her academic peers to keep challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of knowledge in the sciences and other fields. She challenged scientists to take chances in pursuit of ambitious objectives.
“Asking ‘Why not?’ should be a Harvard refrain − the willingness to sound foolish, risk ridicule, be dismissed as a dreamer. We’ve seen it time and again − the courage to take a chance, even when success seems beyond reach. And the courage to collaborate, to listen, to compromise, to grow,” she said.
Since 2018, Gay served as dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She first joined Harvard in 2006 as a professor of government, then began teaching African American studies the year after.
Rawson shared his thoughts on the ceremony and Gay’s speech. “Claudine Gay’s inauguration was an historic moment for Harvard and a proud moment for Exeter. Processing behind the Harvard faculty with representatives of more than 170 colleges and universities was a great honor for our school. Observing the entire ceremony from the second row – even though we were soaked by rain – was absolutely exciting. President Gay’s speech was moving and deeply meaningful, as were the remarks of other speakers who welcomed President Gay to her new responsibilities. It was quite special that evening to tell the senior class and alumni at the ELW dinner where I had been that afternoon and hear the roar in response,” he said.
Amelia Tardy ‘22 and a current sophomore at Harvard, spoke on Gay’s inauguration: “President Claudine Gay’s inauguration as Harvard’s 30th president holds immense importance, as it signals a groundbreaking stride towards diversity and inclusivity in academic leadership. Her remarkable journey and accomplishments serve as a testament to her exceptional leadership. Her appointment not only shatters historical barriers, but inspires a generation of young leaders. I am absolutely thrilled about her presidency, both as a Harvard student, and an Exeter graduate,” Tardy said.
