Harvard Remembers Too
Posted on May 23rd, 2011 in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »
As the Harvard Alumni Association invites me to come to Harvard’s 360th Commencement—that is a pretty impressive number, but I’ll be in New Haven—a reader reminds me that May 27th, graduation day, is the 70th anniversary of the convening of a secret anti-gay tribunal in Cambridge, as this USA Today article points out.
The article is written by Joel Engardio, who’s graduating from the K School.
Speech is what has moved Harvard toward openness — not just for gays, but all the people who weren’t welcome on campus at one time. Today’s diverse graduates will export their values of tolerance to the world, negotiating solutions for the many injustices that still exist. Imagine the power of their education.
It’s of course a wonderful thing that Mr. Engardio doesn’t have to go through the harassment and intolerance that his predecessors endured. But gay or straight, one thing hasn’t changed at Harvard—the hubris.
9 Responses
5/23/2011 8:20 am
The hubris is where, exactky, Richarde?
5/23/2011 8:21 am
Look Richard, I know you graduated from Yale and Harvard, but did you ever learn basic arithmetic? The 70th. anniversary?
5/23/2011 8:38 am
My wonderful former student Jess Burkle is in this production based on the events you mention. Highly recommended for those in New York:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/150787-Unnatural-Acts-About-Harvards-Expulsion-of-Gays-to-Play-Classic-Stage-Cast-Announced
5/23/2011 9:10 am
Sam—In fact, yes. Chalk this one up to bleary-eyed, early morning blogging.
5/23/2011 9:11 am
Rereading that, I can’t even remember where I got “70th” from. How curious.
5/23/2011 10:01 am
I think you had in mind the fact that Dylan turns 70 tomorrow. Happy birthday, Bob!
5/23/2011 10:08 am
And many more, let us hope.
5/23/2011 10:13 am
Oh, Anon-the hubris comes in the quote: “Today’s diverse graduates will export their values of tolerance to the world, negotiating solutions for the many injustices that still exist.”
Let’s try this:
“I hope that today’s graduates advocate tolerance and try to negotiate solutions for the injustices that remain both here and abroad.”
It’s a little less florid, but a little more humble.
5/23/2011 11:15 am
He is an HKS graduate, probably in training for a job in the Obama administration.