Profiles
Sarah K. Hurwitz ’99, Former Head Speechwriter for Michelle Obama, Looks Back On College and Career
Michelle Obama’s former head speechwriter Sarah K. Hurwitz ’99 found her love for politics at Harvard.
‘He Liked to Provoke’: Foreshadowing Tom Cotton ’99
More than 25 years ago, Tom B. Cotton ’99 helped organize Harvard Model Congress. But playing pretend apparently wasn’t enough.
2024 Presidential Candidate Cornel West ’74’s Life as a ‘Love Warrior’
Cornel R. West ’74 brought a book with him just in case the party quieted down.
‘CS50 Changed My Life’: 25 Years After Shuttleboy, David J. Malan ’99 Reflects on Path to Teaching
Every fall, hundreds of students — sometimes as many as 800 — pack into Sanders Theatre for a course that promises to be “an experience,” unlike any other the College has to offer.
‘It Was Never a Game Plan’: Walter Isaacson ’74 Looks Back on Storied Career
Walter S. Isaacson ’74 is a people person.
‘Generational Intellect’: Meet Attorney General Merrick Garland ’74
In interviews with 11 of his friends, former classmates, and professors, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland ’74 was repeatedly characterized as a man who struck others for his deep intellect — but also for his honesty and dependability, and for seeming to get along with everyone.
‘College Football Lost’: Legendary Coach Tim Murphy Bids Farewell to Harvard After 30 Years
Harvard football Head Coach Tim Murphy's tenure was marked by notable victories, several regional and national accolades, and a deep impact on the nation’s oldest collegiate institution.
A Legacy of Leadership in Dallas: Eric L. Johnson ’98
If Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson ’98 hadn’t met Robert Bridgeman — then the director of programs at the Phillips Brooks House Association — while walking across Harvard Yard in his freshman fall, his life of public service might not have been the same.
‘First Draft of History’: Kristen Welker ’98 Charts Path from Crimson Reporting to White House
Leading the crowd of reporters in the White House briefing room, Kristen Welker ’98 sat in the front row, poised to ask about the ongoing fight over the debt limit and budget deal.
The Making of a Prime Minister: Benazir ‘Pinkie’ Bhutto ’73 Remembered as ‘Great Messenger’ for Pakistan
Before Benazir Bhutto ’73 broke the “glass ceiling” as the first democratically elected woman of a Muslim nation, she was a shy girl from Eliot House known to all as “Pinkie.”
Seth Waxman ’73 Reflects on Path from Quincy House to the Supreme Court
In October 2022, nearly 50 years after his graduation from Harvard, Seth P. Waxman ’73 defended his alma mater before the Supreme Court.
Robert W. Decherd ’73, Titan in Texas Journalism, Reflects on Changing Media Landscape
Fifty years ago, as Robert W. Decherd ’73 stood with his fellow editors at The Crimson’s centennial celebration, he said that the event “has meant more in an institutional way than any Harvard Reunion or office party ever could.” Now, as Decherd returns to Harvard for his 50th reunion, he remains convinced.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy ’98 Guided by ‘Inspiration in the Moment’
Vivek H. Murthy ’98 has more than enough on his plate. His resume features numerous board positions, nonprofit and business ventures, and a bestselling book. He now serves as U.S. surgeon general — the youngest person ever to be confirmed to the position and the first of Indian descent.
MacArthur ‘Genius’ Andrews Lauded for ‘Ridiculous Smarts,’ ‘Ridiculous Amount of Kindness’
Andrews was named a 2020 MacArthur Fellow in October, receiving $625,000 for his work overcoming statistical inference problems in empirical economics. The grant itself gives him flexibility to take more unpaid leave and focus on research, Andrews explained, but it is also a tremendous honor in its own right.