In The News
J.K. Rowling to Speak at Harvard Commencement June 5, 2008
J.K. RowlingJ.K. Rowling will be the principal speaker at the Harvard Commencement ceremony June 5, 2008. The Harry Potter author will be featured at the prestigious university’s 357th graduation ceremony this summer in Cambridge, Massachusetts and will also receive an honorary degree. The president of Harvard said:
“Perhaps no one in our time has done more than J.K. Rowling to inspire young people to experience the excitement and the sheer joy of reading,” said President Drew Faust. “Her tales of Harry, Ron, and Hermione and their Hogwarts adventures have cast a spell on millions of readers around the world. Harvard isn’t exactly Hogwarts, but I’m sure that her visit with us next June will be a moment of magic for J.K. Rowling’s many admirers across the University.”
“It will be an honor and a thrill to welcome J.K. Rowling to Harvard,” said Jonathan Byrnes, president of the Harvard Alumni Association. “There are countless Harry Potter devotees throughout the Harvard family, and we look forward to warmly welcoming one of the world’s best-read authors to our Commencement festivities.”
Harvard University is renown for having some of the leading figures of our time speak at their graduation ceremony each year; a full list of past speakers can be found here.
Thanks E!
Interested in J.K. Rowling?
Sign up for free Email Alerts
I live pretty close to Boston, but don’t know anyone who is graduating from Harvard…two kids from my school go there, but we aren’t exactly friendly…
This is so unbelievablly cool!!! wouldnt it be awesome to be there? Id go if i had the chance but… like ill have the time
Oooh, those lucky Harvard grads! I’m sure someone will record it, it will be very cool to watch!
damnit. I wish i went to Harvard. Nevermind knowing someone who goes, i wish i was there. Hey Jo, would you please come to Earlham? Pretty please! Kthankx!
er, sorry about the cussing bit. Please avert your eyes from what i just wrote. Substitute it for Darnit!
Ya Harvard and Ya Jo!!!! Although I wish she could have been the speaker in ‘09 instead, then I could have seen her for my reunion! :(
Professor Potter, I think they chose J Lithgow because he is a graduate. Will Ferrell was a class day speaker one year – his speech is hysterical: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPH3hEpEPHY
ooo congrats Jo! (another inducement for my bro to apply to Harvard kekeke)
In recent years many univerisities including Harvard have broadcast the speeches of the main speakers, so we should be able to see her speech and acceptance of her honorary degree.
aillinne, you are wicked, I love your idea of sending her to Yale to cause a ruckus! (i’m an academic, and very anti-Yale…)
I can believe how lucky those graduates are! They don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars, or win a sweepstakes, or be a member of the press, or wait in line for hours to see her speak! haha
I wonder if she will do some other sort of event in the Boston area?
Wow, she’s quite a change from their usual guests. I’d have LOVED to see Kofi Annan speak. Ted Koppel spoke at mine… though, technically, I did graduate with Clint Eastwood!
@ budb
Thanks! ;)
I wonder about that honorary degree: is JKR going to receive LLD, D.A., Doctor of Letters or something else?
budb and ailline: I’m from Yale, and I agree with you both. Professor Pompous Twit (er, pardon me: Bloom) doesn’t speak for all of us. In fact, he’s an embarrassment to a lot of us.
I know she will give a wonderful speech full of warmth and humor. She deserves an Honorary Degree from Harvard. I feel that J.K.Rowlings has inspired people to pursue higher education, as well as focus hard on their early studies. She has also taught a generation to not just look for all the answers out of a book., or expect Professors to provide them with an education. That real education comes from a person’s determination, will, possibly knowing someone like Hermione to fill in the finer points, and pure resourcefulness.
I hope Leaky Lounge will get a transcript of the speech so we can read it.
Enjoy getting your Honorary Degree J.K.Rowlings!
I live 20 minutes from Cambridge!!
do you think I could somehow sneak in? I’m open to suggestions.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s great, now I only have to figure out how to get her to my my graduation…lol, way to go Jo and Harvard!!
If I lived near there I would go to the graduation store and buy a cap and gown and try to blend in. Just kidding, but I would probably choose the wrong color or something and stick out like a sore thumb. Ha ha. Seriously though, I hope someone records it so we can see.
Sorry, comments are closed for this article.
Leaky Poll
Moving the HBP film to July 2009 is:
- Completely unforgivable74 (39%)
- Annoying, but I'll get over it75 (39%)
- Not something I care about.9 (4%)
- Cool; who wants to go to the movies in the winter anyway?3 (1%)
- Awesome! I get to save $10 until next year.10 (5%)
- Awesome! I get to save $10 because now I'm skipping this movie!9 (4%)
- I've made a Facebook group, started a protest, called my local councilman, staged a sit-in, started a boycott, and organized a million-fan march because we won't stand for the - wait, what was this about again?9 (4%)
OH. MY. GOD. Jo is going to be FIVE MINUTES AWAY from my HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I am freaking out! holy crap! I wish I could swear here!