Famous Harvard Alumni

Famous Harvard Alumni Who Changed the World

Harvard University now has over 40,000 alumni from 200 countries, thousands of whom who could be considered famous Harvard alumni have accomplished extraordinary things, and some who have changed the world. Founded in 1636 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University is one of the most prestigious universities in the United States and in the world. 

Read on to learn more about the most famous Harvard University alumni who achieved great things in their professional lives and making outstanding contributions to their countries or humankind. Use this article to inspire you as to what is possible with a great education, and maybe even begin your journey to historic greatness by following these esteemed alumni to Harvard University!

Harvard World Leaders and Politicians

Harvard has been extraordinarily influential in producing political leaders, not only Presidents of the United States, but worldwide. 

For example, John F Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States of America in 1961 and the youngest man elected as President in the history of American politics. He studied at Harvard 1936-1940 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in the Harvard International Relations graduate program. 

More recently, Barack Obama graduated in 1991 with a Juris Doctor in Law. He served as the 44th president of the United States of America with tenure from 2009 to 2017 and was the first Black President of the U.S. He was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people”, making him the fourth U.S. President to have received it. He was also the first Black President of the Harvard Law Review. 

Leaders from other nations have also attended Harvard, such as Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Harvard Graduate Scientists

Harvard has a well-deserved reputation as a hub for scientific research and discovery. J. Robert Oppenheimer, a renowned American physicist best known as the “father of the atomic bomb,” became famous for his contributions to the Manhattan Project. He retired from the Institute of Advanced Study in 1963 after receiving the prestigious Enrico Fermi Award from the Atomic Energy Commission. 

Another famous Harvard physicist is Roy Glauber, a pioneering theoretical physicist from the dawn of the atomic age. He updated the theory of the nature of light from its origins in the 19th century to include modern quantum principles and helped explain how light can travel in the form of quanta (particles) as well as rays or waves. 

Harvard has also produced Nobel laureates in the field of Medicine, such as Linda Buck, who received the Nobel Prize for work relating to the sense of smell, which the Nobel committee noted had “long remained the most enigmatic of our senses. The basic principles for recognising and remembering about 10,000 different odours were not understood.”

Harvard Graduate Entrepreneurs

Harvard has also proven to be a breeding ground for successful entrepreneurs, who have gone on to found some of the largest and most influential companies in the world.

Bill Gates, best known as the C.E.O. of Microsoft, first studied at Harvard from 1973 to 1975 as a pre-law student and then supplemented his studies with mathematics and graduate-level computer science. He was also the chief software architect and Microsoft’s largest individual shareholder until 2014. He is also one of the world’s most significant philanthropists having founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation alongside his former wife, which works to fight against poverty and disease globally. It is one of the largest charitable organisations in the world in terms of its assets with a total endowment of over $70 billion. 

Mark Zuckerberg is another famous entrepreneur who, through his company Facebook/Meta, has revolutionised communication and networking by breaking the barriers of geography through online connectivity. He founded Facebook in 2004 while enrolled at Harvard University studying programs with majors in Psychology and Computer Science. 

Ratan Tata, who is famous for his business leadership and vision in India, is also a Harvard University alumnus. Under his leadership, the Tata Group expanded its business globally, setting the standard for innovation, research, and technology. Not only is Ratan Tata known for his business and work ethic, but he is also recognised worldwide for his philanthropy and dedication towards improving society in India. He graduated in 1975 from Harvard Business School.

Harvard Graduate Writers and Editors

Harvard has also made a substantial contribution to the literary world. Harvard alumnus T.S. Eliot won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948, and is known for

reforming modern poetry with his innovative style blending of symbolism and complexity.  More recently, Seamus Heaney won the Nobel Prize in Literature for “poetic works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past.”

Harvard Graduate Actors

Harvard has also produced some talented and successful actors. Natalie Portman is an Oscar-winning American actress who studied psychology at Harvard and received her degree in 2003. She has won various awards throughout her career, including the British Academy Film Award and Golden Globe Awards. She also won the Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her role in the movie Black Swan. 

Tommy Lee Jones is another American actor who graduated from Harvard who has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. He graduated with a degree in English from Harvard University.

Harvard Graduate Economists

A number of key economists have come from Harvard who are regarded as pioneers in economic thought. Amartya Sen is particularly celebrated for his work dealing with development economics, which is often devoted to the welfare of the poor. He has developed new ways to predict and fight famine as well as ways to measure poverty, so that more effective social programs can be designed. 

Claudia Goldin, the Henry Lee Professor of Economics, provided the first comprehensive account of women’s earnings and labour market participation through the centuries. By trawling through the archives and compiling and correcting historical data, Goldin has been able to present new and often surprising facts. The fact that women’s choices have often been, and remain, limited by marriage and responsibility for the home and family is at the heart of her analyses and explanatory models. Her insights reach far outside the borders of the US and similar patterns have been observed in many other countries. Her research brings us a better understanding of the labour markets of yesterday, today and tomorrow, for which she was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2023.

How to get into Harvard

If you’re looking to apply to Harvard, look no further than our comprehensive guide to applying to Harvard, How to get into Harvard in 2024.

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Sources

https://www.harvard.edu/about/history/nobel-laureates

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Harvard_University_people