John Harvard’s Journal

Larry 29 he sun shone brightly on Harvard leges and universities are worthy of has created it—and we are nowhere near and Lawrence S. Bacow on Friday, public support. done,” Bacow probed “the goodness of Har- TOctober 5, as Harvard inaugurated For the first time in my lifetime, vard—and all of our universities” by exam- its twenty-ninth president. He will need to people are expressing doubts about ining their essential values: truth, or veri- tap that solar energy, and other sources, like whether colleges and universities are tas; excellence; and opportunity. Crucially, the support from an appreciative Tercen- even good for the nation. he stressed the point of doing so together: tenary Theatre crowd, to tackle the funda- Answering the question, “What does not only stating higher education’s case to mental issue he summarized in a succinct higher education really contribute to our na- a doubting public, but also calling on aca- sentence early in his 3,600-word, 34-min- tional life?” he asserted, “We need, together, demia to ensure that it is true to its values. ute address: “These are challenging times to reaffirm that higher education is publica Thus, universities must embrace “both for higher education in America.” good worthy of support—and beyond that, reassuring truths and unsettling truths,” Elaborating the notes he sounded on a pillar of our democracy, that if dislodged, which arise from those “who challenge our February 11, when his appointment was will change the United States into some- thinking.” Harvard must model the behav- announced, Bacow said: thing fundamentally bleaker and smaller.” ior it hopes to see elsewhere, “For if we can’t For the first time in my lifetime, (The text of his address begins on page 19.) talk about the issues that divide us here, people are actually questioning the After making the case that higher edu- on this extraordinarily beautiful campus— value of sending a child to college. cation’s becoming progressively available where everyone is smart and engaged— For the first time in my lifetime, to more of the citizenry “has not only sup- where the freedom to speak one’s mind is people are asking whether or not col- ported our democracy, but in some sense it one of our defining precepts—where we are

16 November - December 2018 All photographs by Jim Harrison

Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 Lawrence S. Bacow| FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018

blessed with abundant resources and no one come talented students and scholars from Opposite: President Bacow delivers his goes to sleep in fear for his or her life—there around the world is to undercut America’s inaugural address. Above, clockwise from top left: Dean Emma Dench, representing is no hope for the rest of the world.” intellectual and economic leadership.” Oxford, with Fiona Reynolds (Emmanuel “Our commitment to excellence,” he con- In her inaugural address in 2007—it seems College, Cambridge) and Gifford Combs tinued later, “should never be interpreted as a different era now—historian Drew Faust (University of Cambridge); MIT president an embrace of elitism. The excellence we rep- emphasized universities’ obligations to the L. Rafael Reif salutes “favorite son” Larry Bacow (MIT ’72) with a (meaningful) gag resent is not a birthright. It is not something past (culture, the arts, their collections) and gift; the University Band; poet Amanda inherited by those born privileged—or even the future (research, innovation, and teach- S.C. Gorman ’20; and an emotional by those born with great aptitude. It is de- ing), more than to the present. For Lawrence blessing from the Bacows’ rabbi and friend, fined by more than numbers, and it encom- S. Bacow—social scientist, lawyer, seasoned Wesley Gardenswartz ’83, J.D. ’86 passes spark and imagination, grit and deter- academic leader—the focus is, necessarily, Office for the Arts, showcased students and mination.” Accordingly, “We need to remind on higher education’s present: full of op- teachers making and performing multiple the nation of the degree to which America’s portunities for discoveries and progress, arts at the University. In the wake of the greatness depends upon this commitment to but also full of very present dangers. Faust administration’s arts initiative, there excellence—and the fact that supporting ex- are more practitioners on the faculty, teach- cellence at college and university campuses Crimson Celebrations ing a broader range of performers—includ- does not run counter to the best interests of If Bacow’s remarks looked principally ing the undergraduates newly concentrating those who feel left behind by our society.” outward (the single campus initiative he de- in theater, dance, and media. As for opportunity, this son of refugees tailed was a commitment to raise funds for The talents on display ranged from pianist was moving and eloquent on the need to public-service internships for all interest- Tony Yang ’21 and Carissa Chen ’21 perform- welcome and nurture people of talent: “It’s ed undergraduates), the inauguration was ing a “duet” of sorts (she painting a large certainly one measure of a just society, how thoroughly Harvardian. canvas while he played Debussy’s “Clair de well we treat the least powerful among us. Thursday night, in Sanders Theatre, the lune”) to a cutting-edge, Asian-fusion-jazz But beyond goodness, we must make the “Musical Prelude to the Inauguration: A quartet: Rosenblatt professor of the arts case for common sense: that failing to wel- Welcome and Celebration,” crafted by the and jazz pianist Vijay Iyer; senior lecturer

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on music and director of advisers”: Bacow’s Harvard jazz bands Yosvany Terry; doctoral mentors, still ac- and graduate students Rajna tive members of the faculty, Swaminathan, a percussionist and whom he recognized and composer, and Ganavya Doraiswa- thanked in his remarks later. my, a vocalist. Tradition was served The Inauguration Theme and when three undergraduate a cap- Fanfare, performed by the pella groups—the Krokodiloes, the Harvard-Radcliffe Orches- Harvard Opportunes, and the Rad- tra, is home-grown: a cliffe Pitches—singly and together composition by Wil- performed a medley of modified Mo- liams professor of urban town hits (sample lyric: “He’s planning and design Je- leaving on that midnight T to rold Kayden ’75, J.D. ’79, Harvard”), an affectionate nod a trumpeter and HRO to Bacow’s Michigan roots. president in college. Lawrence Bacow and Adele In selecting John P. Fleet Bacow, exhilarated and Reardon Jr. ’60 to serve clearly moved, came to the stage as master of ceremonies, to applaud the performers. She beginning with the call thanked the artists for their in- to order, Bacow settled delible demonstration of “the on the living embodi- passion, the soul of Harvard.” ment of the Universi- He extended the thank-you to Clockwise from top left: M.C. ty’s last half-century: the people backstage who had John P. Reardon Jr. ’60; Cath- associate dean of ad- erine L. Zhang ’19; Calixto made the performance possible. Sáenz; Adele Fleet Bacow with missions and financial The Bacows were very much on duty the schlep stuff from cars to dorm Richard Zeckhauser, one of aid, director of athlet- next morning, as visiting dignitaries and rooms on a hot August morn- Larry Bacow’s Ph.D. advisers ics, executive director friends of Harvard present for the occasion ing. In mid September, they of the Harvard Alumni were served a continental breakfast-cum- traveled to his boyhood home, in Pontiac, and Association, adviser to the president and edification at “A Taste of Harvard,” under to Detroit, where he unveiled research part- the Governing Boards, and Harvard Med- the tent on the Science Center Plaza: fuel nerships with the University of Michigan to alist—the consummate Harvard people- plus exhibitions on projects, programs, and address urban poverty and the opioid crisis: person. Reveling in the occasion, Reardon partnerships from across the University, in- templates for extending Harvard’s reach and proclaimed, “What a beautiful day for this cluding the student-run Crimson EMS, the impact. And speaking to faculty members at a great inauguration.” research assets of the Harvard Forest, Har- teaching symposium a week later, he put their The choice of “America the Beautiful” as vard Law School’s Veterans Legal Clinic, and work on campus in a broader context, as well, the initial anthem reflects the aspirational more. As is their wont (as the community is asking, “How can we ensure that what we are nature of the lyrics, according to Andrew G. coming to understand), the couple appeared doing here benefitsall the students who are Clark, director of choral activities and senior to visit each exhibit, greet guests for casu- trying to learn in America?” lecturer on music. As such, it ties to Bacow’s al conversation, and generally enjoy them- At its core, of course, Harvard is commit- personal narrative as the son of refugees who selves on an increasingly brilliant morning. ted to research and teaching. After the in- fled Europe for the United States, to make This was only the latest demonstration of auguration breakfast, eight simultaneous new lives. Having Cambridge seventh-grad- their personal engagement with seeming- symposiums showcased aspects of faculty er Alan Chen as lead soloist made it explic- ly everyone on campus (a hallmark of their scholarship, from behavioral economics, itly intergenerational, and underscored Har- presence during his Tufts presidency)—es- data science, and genomics to such policy vard’s ties to its home community. (The day tablishing relationships and promoting mes- challenges as delivering effective early-child- had personal connections for Clark, too: he sages about the University’s opportunities. hood education and addressing inequality. had the same duties at Tufts from 2003 to President Bacow welcomed the inaugural 2010, before coming to Harvard, and knew cohort of participants in the new First-Year Inaugurating the President the Bacows as “wonderful supporters of the Retreat and Experience pre-orientation, for The afternoon began with the academic arts and of students’ work.”) first-generation, low-income, and other stu- procession into Tercentenary Theatre at 2:06 Among the speakers, L. Rafael Reif, presi- dents from underrepresented backgrounds. p.m., led by Reserve Officer Training Corps dent of MIT (Bacow’s undergraduate alma The couple donned Move-In T-shirts to greet candidates and the University Band. Among mater, and then, following his Harvard de- students and their parents—and even helped those filing in was a group signed “academic grees, his academic home for 24 years), es-

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Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 Lawrence S. Bacow| FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018

pecially wowed the crowd, toasting to the president’s ceremonial, MIT’s “favorite son” whom he had and famously uncomfortable, come “to drop…off at college.” He chair—and in his first deci- even insinuated that getting Bacow sive act after being inaugu- installed in Mass Hall ranked among rated, Bacow followed Lee’s the best of MIT’s famous hacks, and advice not to sit in it for long. concluded by presenting a reminder After the president’s ad- of “home”: a piece of limestone from dress, the Bacows’ rabbi the original MIT Dome, and close friend, Wesley inscribed, Gardenswartz ’83, J.D. ’86, Lawrence S. Bacow, senior rabbi of Temple MIT Class of ’72. Emanuel in Newton The 29th president of Center, offered an in- Harvard and a chip tensely personal, emo- off the old block! tional benediction and Succeeding speakers rep- blessings. Thereafter, resented the faculty (Robin the Inauguration Choir E. Kelsey, Burden professor returned to sing the of photography), students Hebrew conclusion (Catherine L. Zhang ’19, president At the Bacow Block to Chichester Psalms, composed by of the Undergraduate Council), the Party, clockwise Leonard Bernstein (more Harvard: from top left: Harvard Alumni Association (presi- Robert Morris ’39, D.Mus. ’67), whose centennial is dent Margaret M. Wang ’09), and University­ presi- being celebrated this year. members of the University staff (Ca- dent Chris Howard, Then came the singing of “Fair lixto Sáenz, director of the microflu- M.B.A. ’03, busts a Harvard,” spruced up with its newly move; a grand- idics microfabrication core facility father-granddaugh- inclusive last line. The last notes of at Harvard Medical School—a first- ter dance; poses for the recessional having wafted sky- generation immigrant from Colom- the selfie genera- ward, and the bells having boomed tion; Sharpie time; bia, lifted up by higher education: a and entertainment out their notes at 4:25, it was off life story resonant with Bacow’s). by 21 Colorful to the “Bacow Block Party” in the Then came the official inaugura- Crimson Old Yard—there to be fed and tion, begun by the president of the entertained. Board of Overseers, Susan L. Carney ’73, J.D. new presidency, but far more, we celebrate A short distance away from the hubbub, ’77—U.S. Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court an idea”—that higher education is a force for the sugar maples at Loeb House—where of Appeals, Second Circuit—who cited Ba- good, for understanding and discovery that the Governing Boards do their work, and cow’s “instinct for collaboration and thirst “serves the world.” Higher education had where Lawrence S. Bacow had begun his for innovation,” among other strengths, as been Bacow’s guiding star throughout his presidency in July—were in splendid au- the experienced helmsman sets “sail for the life, Lee said, and he hoped that all present tumn color. Definitively, the seasons had adventures ahead.” would follow that star, too, advancing Har- turned—and even more definitively, a new Harvard’s four living presidents emeri- vard, the community, and the world. After Lee Crimson team’s new season was well begun. ti—Derek C. Bok, J.D. ’54, LL.D. ’92; Neil L. and Bacow displayed the charter, Lee led him vjohn s. rosenberg Rudenstine, Ph.D. ’64, LL.D. ’02; Lawrence H. Summers, Ph.D. ’82, LL.D. ’07; and Drew Gilpin Faust—were on hand to invest Ba- the inaugural address cow with four symbols of his new office. Bok conveyed the large keys, from 1846; Ruden- “Challenging Times for Higher Education” stine, the oldest College Book, containing records dating back to 1639; and Summers This truly is an astonishing sight, seeing help me at every step of the way, beginning and Faust, the Harvard seals. so many of you here in Harvard Yard today. with my parents, who worked hard every The Corporation’s Senior Fellow, William It’s a great reminder that nobody gets day to ensure that I had boundless oppor- F. Lee ’72, concluded the formalities by con- anywhere of consequence in this world on tunities. I would not be here today without veying the final symbol of office, the Harvard his or her own—and that includes becom- the love of my life, Adele, who has made my Charter of 1650. Before doing so, Lee said those ing president of Harvard. life so meaningful and rich, and also with- attending had “come together to celebrate a I have been blessed to have people ready to out my children, from whom I have learned

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and continue to learn so much. great institutions are represented here to- litical spectrum as we should be; that we are I thank all of my family and my day, and I thank all of my colleagues from becoming unaffordable and inaccessible, out dear friends, who are also family, for all over the country and all over the world of touch with the rest of America; and that traveling from far and wide to be here. for your good wishes—and, frankly, your we care more about making our institutions I have been blessed, also, by inspiring support, because this is not an easy moment great, than about making the world better. teachers and mentors, three of whom I am to assume the leadership of any college or While there may be—may be—a kernel of honored to have with me today—my Har- university. truth here, if I believed that these criticisms vard dissertation advisors, Mark Moore, These are challenging times for higher fundamentally represented who we are, I Richard Zeckhauser, and Richard Light— education in America. would not be standing before you today. All to mark it. Thank you for having taught me For the first time in my lifetime, people of our institutions are striving to make wise so well. are actually questioning the value of send- choices amidst swirling economic, social, I would also like to thank my prede- ing a child to college. and political currents that often make wis- cessors Drew Faust, Larry Summers, For the first time in my lifetime, people dom difficult to perceive. Neil Rudenstine, and Derek Bok for their are asking whether or not colleges and uni- We need, together, to reaffirm that higher thoughtful stewardship and leadership of versities are worthy of public support. education is a public good worthy of sup- Harvard over the last half-century. For the first time in my lifetime, people port—and beyond that, a pillar of our de- I would also like to thank each of them are expressing doubts about whether col- mocracy that, if dislodged, will change the for their excellent advice as I take the helm. leges and universities are even good for the United States into something fundamen- A special thanks also to my colleagues from nation. tally bleaker and smaller. Tufts and from MIT, who taught me how to These questions force us to ask: What It’s worth remembering that most of the be a leader in higher education. I guarantee does higher education really contribute to nation’s founders were first-generation col- you that there are many people assembled the national life? lege students. They not only shaped our here who pray that you taught me very well! Unfortunately, more people than we would form of government, they built new univer- Of course, the Harvard presidency seems like to admit believe that universities are not sities. Having had their own minds opened to involve some unique hazards—and over nearly as open to ideas from across the po- and improved by learning, they were certain its long history, a nearly infinite list of po- tential missteps. President Langdon, for example, was forced to resign after the students found Inauguration Extras that his sermons dragged on too long—a great incentive for me to be brief today. For in-depth reports on the inauguration and Harvard’s President Mather, on the other hand, out- celebrations, please see… raged the entire Harvard community by re- fusing to move here from Boston, arguing Artistic Harvard: The that the air in Cambridge did not agree with Inaugural Showcase Student and faculty performers him. Fortunately, I actually like the atmo- light up Sanders sphere here a lot! harvardmag.com/ Even President Eliot, arguably Harvard’s bacow29-arts-18 most successful president, provoked an uproar now and then. He wanted to abol- Academic Harvard: The ish hockey, basketball, and football, on the Harvard Inaugurates Inaugural Symposiums grounds that they required teamwork, and, President Lawrence S. Professors’ exciting research in his mind, Harvard had absolutely no use Bacow from across the University for that. He also tried over and over again harvardmag.com/ A full account of the new bacow29-ideas-18 to acquire MIT. president’s priorities, Rafael, you can relax. I’ll do my best to preparations for the “Making Mountains avoid all such misadventures. inaugural, and all the As We Run” I am deeply honored to assume the leader- speakers’ remarks An undergraduate poet toasts ship of this wonderful institution, and proud harvardmag.com/ Harvard’s new leader that as the nation’s oldest university, Harvard inauguration29-18 harvardmag.com/ has helped to shape the American system of bacow29-poet-18 higher education, which is magnificent in its independence, sweep, and diversity. visit harvardmagazine.com

I am also honored that so many other CLOCKWISE FROM JIM TOP LEFT: HARRISON; HARVARD MAGAZINE JIM (2); HARRISON

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Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 Lawrence S. Bacow| FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018

that government by and for the people re- been more important. It is our responsibility pecially those with whom they disagree. quires an educated citizenry. to educate students to be discerning consum- We need to teach them to be quick to un- Even at some of the most difficult moments ers of news and arguments, and to become derstand, and slow to judge. in our national history, our leaders understood sources of truth and wisdom themselves. Let me say that again: We need to teach that they could strengthen the nation by edu- Of course, facts and truth are not the our students to be quick to understand, and cating more of our society. Abraham Lincoln same. Facts are incontrovertible, or at least slow to judge. And as faculty, we owe this signed the Morrill Act during the dark days they should be, whereas truth has to be dis- duty to each other, as well. of the Civil War, creating land-grant univer- covered, revealed through argument and ex- To paraphrase the great theologian Rein- sities to spread useful knowledge across this periment, tested on the anvil of opposing hold Niebuhr, it is always wise to look for immense raw continent. explanations and ideas. This is precisely the the truth in our opponents’ error, and the President Franklin Roosevelt signed the function of a great university, where scholars error in our own truth. G.I. Bill just two weeks after D-Day, making debate and marshal evidence in support of At Harvard, we must strive to model the a college education one of the prime rewards their theories, as they strive to understand behavior we would hope to see elsewhere. for national service, and sending vast num- and explain our world. For if we can’t talk about the issues that di- bers of less-privileged Americans to college for the first time. “Our search for truth must be inextricably Every such expansion of higher educa- tion, every move toward openness to those bound up with a commitment to freedom of previously excluded, has brought the United States closer to the ideal of equality and op- speech and expression.” portunity for all. So higher education has not only support- This search for truth has always required vide us here, on this extraordinarily beau- ed our democracy, but in some sense it has courage, both in the sciences, where those tiful campus, where everyone is smart and created it—and we are nowhere near done. who seek to shift paradigms have often initial- engaged, where the freedom to speak one’s My friend Drew Faust has often wished ly met with ridicule, banishment, and worse, mind is one of our defining precepts, where for Harvard that it be as good as it is great. and in the social sciences, arts, and humani- we are blessed with abundant resources and To me, the goodness of Harvard—and of all ties, where scholars have often had to defend no one goes to sleep in fear for his or her life of our universities—lies in the three essen- their ideas from political attacks on all sides. — if we can’t do that here, there is no hope tial values we represent: truth, or, as we say There are both reassuring truths and unset- for the rest of the world. here, veritas; excellence; and opportunity. tling truths, and great universities must em- At the same time, we should not apolo- Today, we have to embody and defend brace them both. Throughout human history, gize for standing for excellence in every- truth, excellence, and opportunity more the people who have done the most to change thing we do. than ever. We do this not to stave off our the world have been the ones who overturned Harvard is synonymous with excellence. critics, but because these are the values that conventional wisdom, so we should not be We scour the world for students and fac- made our nation great. afraid to welcome into our communities those ulty prepared to demonstrate brilliance in As we consider truth, clearly, we’ve come who challenge our thinking. our classrooms, our laboratories, on our play- a long way from the days when our col- In other words, our search for truth must ing fields and performance stages, and out in league United States Senator Daniel Patrick be inextricably bound up with a commit- the community striving to make a difference. Moynihan said, “Everyone is entitled to his ment to freedom of speech and expression. Our commitment to excellence should own opinion, but not to his own facts.” At Harvard, our alumni span the politi- never be interpreted as an embrace of elitism. Now that technology has disintermediat- cal and philosophical spectrum, including The excellence we represent is not a birth- ed the editorial function, allowing anybody those who have served in the White House, right. It is not something inherited by those to publish his or her own view of events, in Congress, on the Supreme Court, and in born privileged—or even by those born with our fragmented media struggle to make the comparable positions throughout the world. great aptitude. It is defined by more than distinction between opinion and facts. The Here in Harvard Yard, we must embrace di- numbers, and it encompasses spark and result, often, is a feverish diffusion of ru- versity in every possible dimension, because imagination, grit and determination. mor, fantasy, and emotion unconstrained as Governor Baker said so eloquently, we The excellence we stand for is only by reason or reality. learn from our differences—and that in- achieved through tireless pursuit. Scholar- And it is precisely because we find our- cludes ideological diversity. ship is about charging down dark alleys, ac- selves in this post-factual world that strong As faculty, it is up to us to challenge our cepting disappointment, and setting off again. colleges and universities are essential. students by offering them a steady diet of It is messy and laborious by definition. Much Given the necessity today of thinking criti- new ideas to expand their own thinking— as we love to celebrate the “Eureka!” moments cally and differentiating the signal from the and by helping them to appreciate that they in our society, they are generally preceded by noise, a broad liberal arts education has never can gain much from listening to others, es- years of early mornings and late nights.

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We need to remind the nation of higher learning, Harvard has a special re- internship of some kind—an opportunity to of the degree to which America’s sponsibility to champion intellectual tradi- see the world more expansively, and to dis- greatness depends upon this com- tions that have defined educated men and cover their own powers to repair that world. mitment to excellence—and the fact that women since the dawn of civilization. Of course, we cannot achieve excellence supporting excellence at college and univer- We do more than deliver a body of knowl- if we are only drawing talent from a small sity campuses does not run counter to the edge to our students—we expand their hu- portion of society, so our colleges and uni- best interests of those who feel left behind manity. By teaching young people to appre- versities also must stand for opportunity. by our society. ciate what is beautiful in art, society, and In the broadest sense, all of us are indeed Indeed, it is scholars here and elsewhere nature, we help them to discover what created equal: Talent is flatly distributed. who have sounded the alarm about increas- makes life truly worth living. But sadly, opportunity is not. ing income inequality and declining social Of course, none of our institutions can Throughout our history, higher education mobility in the United States, and whose afford to be complacent about our excel- has enabled the most ambitious among us ideas will help us become the just society lence. We have competitors around the to rise economically and socially. And ev- we hope to be. world, supported by governments that un- ery step the nation has taken to print more derstand that the swiftest such tickets into the middle class, and be- route to a thriving econo- yond, has powered our economic growth my runs through univer- and leadership in innovation. sity laboratories, libraries, We have to ensure that higher education and classrooms. remains the same economic stepping-stone Whether our colleges for those from modest backgrounds that and universities are public it was for my generation and my parents’ or private, we all rely upon generation. While a college education still the generosity of the Amer- helps to level the playing field for those who ican people, who contrib- manage to graduate, the cost of entry, and ute both to research and of staying the course until graduation, has financial aid. We are excel- become daunting for many families. lent because of them, and This is why Harvard’s groundbreaking must endeavor to deserve Financial Aid Initiative, started by Larry their support. So it’s up to Summers and expanded by Drew Faust, is us to remember, always, our so important. We simply say to low- and collective obligation to the middle-income families with earnings be- public good. low a certain level, “You can send your child Five living presidents, from left: the emeriti Lawrence H. Since Harvard’s found- to Harvard and we will ask you to pay noth- Summers, Drew Gilpin Faust, Neil L. Rudenstine, and Derek ing in 1636, the people edu- ing.” Largely because of this, 268 members C. Bok—with successor Larry 29 cated here have responded of this year’s first-year class are the first in The research we pursue in all fields helps patriotically to the call to service. With the their family to attend college. to generate new knowledge, new connec- exception of the service academies, more Clearly, however, Harvard cannot keep tions, and new insights into the human con- Harvard alumni have received the Con- the American Dream alive single-handedly. dition. We work to understand the origins gressional Medal of Honor than any other Our nation’s magnificent public colleg- of life, but also the meaning of life. We ex- school. Harvard people have always vigor- es and universities, where four out of five plore the molecular code that makes us hu- ously engaged in the great issues of their day, American students are educated, are key. man, and the culture that is equally essen- and at this very moment 68 of our alumni are But state appropriations are funding a di- tial to our humanity. running for Congress, on both sides of the minishing share of the cost of that educa- Long after the technologies of today are aisle. And our alumni throughout the world tion, so tuition and student debt are rising. obsolete, people will still be reading Shake- are working to strengthen their nations. This trend is not sustainable. speare and Gabriel García Márquez; listen- We need to ensure that future genera- In failing to adequately support public ing to Mozart, Bob Dylan, and the late, great tions continue to serve the greater good higher education, we are literally mortgag- Aretha Franklin from my hometown of De- in a variety of ways. It is my hope that ev- ing our own future. At a time when other troit; and contemplating the great questions ery Harvard graduate, in every profession, countries are investing more in support of that have motivated philosophers and poets should be an active, enlightened, and en- higher education, we as a nation cannot af- for millennia. For it is our art, our literature, gaged citizen. So I am pleased to announce ford to invest less. our music, and our architecture which are today we will work toward raising the re- As higher education leaders, we also need among the most enduring artifacts of human sources so we can guarantee every under- to do what we can do to bend the cost curve. endeavor. As the nation’s oldest institution graduate who wants one a public-service Higher education is one of the few indus-

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Reprinted from Harvard Magazine. For more information, contact Harvard Magazine, Inc. at 617-495-5746 Lawrence S. Bacow| FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2018

tries where competition tends to drive costs us can trace our origins back to people who, Manuel Miranda said so well in “Hamilton.” up. It’s time to stop this arms race, and to like my parents, came to these shores seeking I hope that all of us in higher education re- consider the benefits of greater cooperation. freedom and opportunity, and a better life for main true to our essential values—to truth, These can include shared infrastructure their children. And many continue to make excellence, and opportunity. But I hope, as for research, joint graduate student and fac- this journey today, despite enormous risks. well, that in remaining true to them, we ulty housing, or exchanges that allow us to It certainly is one measure of a just society advance those values in the world at large. eliminate some of the redundancies in our how well we treat the least powerful among It’s not enough that we represent the curricula and to double down on our specific us. But beyond goodness, we must make the very best of society, in terms of intellectual strengths. I look forward to working with case for common sense: that failing to wel- achievement, freedom to express and ex- my colleagues at Boston-area institutions to come talented students and scholars from plore, and openness to extraordinary po- explore how we can collectively do a better around the world is to undercut America’s tential in all who possess it. job of serving both our students and society. intellectual and economic leadership. We must defend the essential role of high- er education in the life of our nation and the “We have a responsibility…to help America broader world. And we must reach outwards even be- remember its own essential goodness.” yond that. We have a responsibility—we have a re- We also have to explore the opportunities In this global economy, financial capital sponsibility—to use the immense resourc- offered by technology to improve productiv- moves at the speed of light, and natural re- es entrusted to us—our assets, ideas, and ity and access. I am proud that Harvard, in sources also move swiftly. The only truly people—to address difficult problems and partnership with our colleagues at MIT, has scarce capital is human and intellectual cap- painful divisions. been a leader in opening up educational op- ital. That is what a nation must aggregate We have a responsibility, as well, to help portunities to talented students throughout and nurture, if it intends to be prosperous. America remember its own essential good- the world through edX. In turn, they have Fortunately, many of the best and the ness: the kindness, decency, and integrity us offered new insights into the science of brightest from around the world seek to of our founding principles, as well as the learning. study at America’s great colleges and uni- kindness, decency, and integrity of those As college and university presidents, we versities. In engineering, mathematics, and people who have fought throughout our his- also need to be much franker in framing the computer sciences, over half the doctorates tory to ensure that these principles apply choices our institutions make, so as to re- awarded each year are granted to foreign na- equally to all. veal their true consequences in terms of cost. tionals. Many of these students will return It is up to us to leave our country and Traditionally, colleges and universities have home with their sights raised, and go on to our world a better place tomorrow than it been great at doing more with more. But in build thriving companies and institutions is today. the future, we may have to do more with less. of higher learning; to fight poverty, disease, That is where true greatness lies. At the same time, it’s our responsibility to and climate change throughout the world; I am honored to be able to work along- counter any current myths about the value and to lead their own nations toward good- side each and every one of you to reach such of higher education and to continue tell- ness and greatness. greatness. ing children, in every corner of this nation But a considerable number of these inter- I am thankful for this opportunity to lead and the world, the simple truth: that if they national students will do everything pos- Harvard, which made me better, and which want to get ahead, education is the vehicle sible to stay right here. Rather than turn I think makes everyone better—spurring all that will bring them there. them away, we should embrace these ex- of us to summit mountains we never imag- College has enabled the American Dream traordinary people. Over a third of our fac- ined we could climb. for so many of us—and we must nurture and ulty were born someplace else. Over a third Today, I am inspired by the beauty of our sustain that dream for generations to come. of the Nobel Prizes awarded to Americans in mission, our history, and our values, by the My parents came to this country with chemistry, medicine, and physics since 2000 power of our ambition, talent, and good- virtually nothing. My father arrived here as have gone to men and women who were for- will, and by the infi- The president, a child, a refugee escaping the pogroms of eign-born. Over 40 percent of Fortune 500 nite possibilities before inaugurated, Eastern Europe. My mother survived Ausch­ companies were founded by immigrants or us, to use our strengths makes his mark: witz as a teenager, lived without bitterness, their children. to help humanity as a Larry 29. and always was grateful that America was America has to continue welcoming those whole to ascend. so good to her. who seek freedom and opportunity, lest we It is a very great priv- This is a common story—this is America’s shut the door to the next generation of great ilege to seize those pos- story. With the exception of Native Ameri- entrepreneurs, scholars, public leaders— sibilities with you, and cans and the descendants of those enslaved and, dare I say, university presidents—for I am delighted to begin. or brought here against their will, most of it is immigrants that get things done, as Lin- Thank you.

Harvard Magazine 23

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