Harvard’s Commencement Showcased a United University
A year after graduation ceremonies were disrupted by protests, President Trump’s attacks have brought students, faculty and the administration together.
What a difference a year makes.
Photographer: Libby O’Neill/Getty Images North AmericaA year can make a transformational difference in the life of an institution. That’s what has happened at Harvard, where students and faculty gave President Alan Garber a standing ovation at commencement Thursday — just a year after protests disrupted graduation ceremonies when hundreds of students walked out. A year ago, student speakers denounced the university’s administration and its trustees, who were sitting behind them. On Thursday, the speakers expressed pride in that same leadership for sticking to the university’s principles and standing up for free inquiry and free expression.
What happened in between? The answer is, at least partly, that Donald Trump happened. In the 16 months following Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2024, Harvard was embroiled in internal conflicts over Gaza, Israel, Palestine and the boundaries of campus free speech. Then, on April 11, 2025, the Trump administration sent the school a list of outrageous demands, threatening to end billions in federal research funding if it failed to comply. In response, the university made the only decision possible to protect its academic freedom and integrity: It sued and became the de facto leading institution in resisting executive overreach.