10 Notable Harvard Veterans

Harvard has grown up with our country and students from America’s oldest university have been a part of our armed forces since the first shots of the Revolution were fired down the street in Lexington and Concord. Let’s take a moment this Veteran’s Day to remember some of the most recognizable veterans to walk though Harvard Yard.

1. Tom Lehrer

Remembered today as a comedy musician, Tom Lehrer began his career as a mathematics students at Harvard University. He later served in the Army, working with the NSA and his experiences at Harvard and in the Army would both serve as inspiration for his music later in life! 

2. Derek Bok

Derek Bok is a name you might not recognize, if you aren’t a Harvard local. He was a legal officer in the U.S. Army from 1956 until 1958, during which time he earned his masters degrees in economics (1956) and psychology (1958) at George Washington University. During his army stint he decided he wanted to teach a goal he would not only reach but surpass, as President of Harvard University for 20 years until 1991.

3. Henry Kissinger

This former Secretary of State is a controversial figure in American politics, but when he was still a young man, he was drafted into the US Army, where he became a naturalized US Citizen. He volunteered for hazardous intelligence duties during the Battle of the Bulge. He earned both a Masters and PhD from Harvard before embarking on his political career.

4. John F. Kennedy

Stories from John F. Kennedy’s military service became legend during his political career, like his heroic actions aboard PT-109. At Harvard his legacy is cemented in the name of the Kennedy Graduate School of Education, along with both a main street and popular park. 

5. Jack Lemmon

This actor and comedian grew up in the nearby town of Newton, MA. He graduated from Harvard in 1947, having served as president of the Hasty Pudding Club. He circumvented rules preventing students from performing off-campus by using fake names like ‘Timothy Orange.’ In the middle of his time at school, Lemmon was commissioned by the US Navy and served on an aircraft carrier during WWII before returning to finish his studies.

6. William Rehnquist

There have been many Supreme Court justices who served in the military and attended Harvard but one of them sat in the seat of Chief Justice. Rehnquist served in the US Army Air Forces (the predecessor to today’s Air Force.) After his service he got his masters in government here at Harvard, and later served as a law clerk at the Supreme Court, before ascending to that body’s highest position.

7. Robert Gould Shaw

After returning from boarding school in Germany he attended Harvard for 3 years. He was a member of the Porcelain and Hasty Pudding Clubs. In 1963 Shaw was commissioned to command the newly formed 54th MA Volunteer Infantry, the first all-black company in the country. He died with his men during the Battle of Fort Wagner. His name sits among the other Harvard Civil War casualties on the walls of Memorial Hall.

8. e. e. cummings

Local boy makes good; renowned poet ee cummings grew up right here in Cambridge. From childhood he wanted to be a poet and a BA and an MA from Harvard. During WWI, Cummings enlisted in an Ambulance Corp. While stationed in Paris, an administrative error resulted in him not receiving an assignment for 5 weeks, so he explored the city instead. Later drafted into the US army, he served only a few months at Camp Devens in Massachusetts.

9. Ben Bradlee

Portrayed at various times by Jason Robards, Alfred Molina, and Tom Hanks, Bradlee was born here in Boston, like others on our list,. Both he and his father attended Harvard,; Bradlee graduated in 1942. During his time at school he enrolled in the Naval ROTC program and received his naval commission on he day he graduated. He served primarily in the Pacific theatre, participating in the largest naval battle ever fought.

10. Teddy Roosevelt

This list is in no particular order but it’s clear that Teddy Roosevelt is Harvard’s #1 veteran: Leader of the famed ‘rough riders,’ avid naturalist, and the youngest person to become President of the United States. He served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and was a member of the prestigious Porcellian Club at Harvard. To learn more about the man behind the mustache, check out the Theodore Roosevelt Collection, in Houghton Library.