Harvard Explained: Who Are Those Old People in Lecture?

Sometime-Harvard student Rivers Cuomo has got nothing on Doris Hiatt. A 34-year-old multimillionaire, the Weezer frontman stood out even in guts like History 10a. But at least his hair is still brown.

Hiatt, on the other hand, is a member of a contingent of lecture attendants whose white hair and 60-plus years set them even further from the crowd. Hiatt and a platoon of her peers attend classes at Harvard regularly. So far she has “seven or eight courses” under her belt, including “Chamber Music from Mozart to Revel,” which she has audited three times because “Professor [Robert D.] Levin [’68] uses different music each time.”

She’s not the only Levin groupie in the aging set, says Director of Undergraduate Admissions Marlyn McGrath Lewis ’70-’73. “Some people audit every course he takes,” she says. “He seems to have attracted a loyal following.”

Ann Oliver, one such fan, has audited six courses, which she chose “based on the recommendation of friends.” These women may know more about the Course Catalogue than Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71, but they are careful not to impose.

“I always seek permission of the professor,” Hiatt says.

Besides their graying hair, other factors also distinguish this crowd from the average Harvard student. Colin Nickerson, a foreign correspondent for The Boston Globe who is taking courses through a fellowship, says he enrolls in science courses for his own enjoyment.

“I have no science background,” he says, “and I am here to learn.”

Got it—he’s not pre-med.