Harvard’s 363rd Commencement

A special notice regarding Harvard’s 363rd Commencement Exercises to be held May 29.

Morning Exercises

To accommodate the increasing number of people wishing to attend Harvard’s Commencement Exercises, the following guidelines are proposed to facilitate admission into Tercentenary Theatre on Commencement morning:

Degree candidates will receive a limited number of tickets to Commencement. Parents and guests of degree candidates must have tickets, which they will be required to show at the gates in order to enter Tercentenary Theatre. Seating capacity is limited, however, there is standing room on the Widener Library steps and at the rear and sides of the Tercentenary Theatre for viewing the exercises.

Note: A ticket allows admission into the theater, but does not guarantee a seat. Seats are on a first-come basis and cannot be reserved. The sale of Commencement tickets is prohibited.

A very limited supply of tickets will be made available to all other alumni and alumnae on a first-come, first-served basis through the Harvard Alumni Association. Alumni and alumnae and guests are requested to view the Morning Exercises over large-screen televisions in the Science Center and at designated locations in most of the undergraduate Houses and graduate and professional Schools. These locations provide ample seating, and tickets are not required.

Alumni and alumnae attending their College reunions (25th, 35th, 50th) will receive tickets at their reunions. Alumni and alumnae in classes beyond the 50th may obtain tickets from the College Alumni Programs Office by calling 617.496.7001, or through the annual Treespread mailing sent out in March with an RSVP date of April 15.

Afternoon Exercises

The Harvard Alumni Association’s Annual Meeting convenes in Tercentenary Theatre on the afternoon of Commencement. All alumni and alumnae, faculty, students, parents, and guests are invited to attend and hear Harvard’s president and the Commencement speaker deliver their addresses. Tickets for the afternoon ceremony will be available through the Harvard Alumni Association, or by calling 617.496.7001.

— Jacqueline A. O’Neill
University Marshal