Class Day and Commencement
Service Leadership Fellows
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| Nothing better than an aisle seat. More photos from Class Day and Commencement. Photography by Stuart Cahill. |
Skies were overcast on the afternoon of June 5 but that didn't faze this year's
911 graduating MBAs who, along with their families and friends, gathered on Baker Lawn to
celebrate Class Day 2002. High spirits remained undampened as
threatening rains held off and a succession of speakers reflected on the class's
achievements to date and the opportunities that lie before it.
After welcoming remarks by Kevin Mohr of the Class Day Committee, Student Association
presidents Mark Plunkett and Lori Schock opened the proceedings with a joint address. Alluding
to her many positive lessons and experiences at HBS, Schock noted,
“We've all learned there's no better place in the world to be than here. In the
future, we'll realize there's no better place to be from.” Plunkett praised the
character of his classmates, observing that “whether
responding to tragedy, dealing with a difficult job market, or coming together to find a way to
give back to those less fortunate, it is clear that the Class of 2002 does not shy away from
challenges.”
Class Day Committee member Brad Staats then presented the Student Association Faculty Awards to
four HBS professors in recognition of their ability to inspire, impart knowledge, and
contribute to student life. In the Required Curriculum, the winners
were Assistant Professor Frances Frei (TOM) and Assistant Professor Jan Rivkin (Strategy);
honorees in the Elective Curriculum were Assistant Professor Youngme Moon (Marketing) and
Professor André Perold (Finance), who also won the award last
year.
Next to take the podium was Class Day student speaker John Brown. An MBA degree from HBS is not
an end itself, Brown noted, “but rather the education here is a trail map helping us to
see a wider world and to attain our goals, whatever they may
be.” He went on to observe that at one time he had told his study group that he intended
to live in Australia and, as a consultant, travel the world while learning about different
business models. Instead, Brown said, “I'm going back
to my hometown of Washington, D.C., to work for the federal government in national security.
Times have changed, and I know I certainly have.”
After concluding his remarks, Brown introduced guest speaker John C. Whitehead (MBA 11/
'47), who is currently chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, charged
with overseeing the rebuilding of the Ground Zero site in New York
City. Among many other positions and achievements during his decades of experience in the
public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Whitehead, the driving force behind the HBS Initiative
on Social Enterprise, has served as cochairman of Goldman Sachs
and deputy secretary of state in the Reagan administration.
Devoting the bulk of his remarks to the subject of leadership, Whitehead observed that
different problems require different leadership styles. When things are going well —
“when the wind is at your back” — a thoughtful,
intellectual approach is appropriate, he said. “But when the clouds build up and a storm
is upon you and the wind is in your face,” a strong, forceful style is essential. Citing
the excesses and misjudgments of the economy's recent
boom-and-bust, Whitehead urged graduates to maintain perspective, seek the middle ground, and
not get carried away by the extremes of prevailing conditions. “In good times and
bad,” he counseled, “it's wise to remember to lean
against the wind.”
Whitehead concluded by noting the trend among companies toward greater social involvement and
responsibility. “I believe your generation of business leadership has the opportunity to
push those boundaries forward into exciting new areas,”
he said. “In the years ahead, corporate leaders will be recognized not only for the
quality of their company's products and services but also for their willingness to tackle
some of the country's huge social problems.”
The next day, Mother Nature played the contrarian and rained all over Harvard's parade and
other Commencement ceremonies. The awarding of HBS diplomas was moved indoors to Bright Hockey
Center, where Dean Kim B. Clark complimented the Class of
2002 for its heroism, courage, and inspiration during a difficult year. Among those whom he
singled out for particular praise were Martin Gonzalez and Mo-Yun Lei, winners of this
year's Dean's Award for service to the HBS community and
exceptional nonacademic achievement. In his farewell to the class, Clark urged graduates
“to invest first at home, and to think of this as your most important investment by
far.”
