The selection of Michael Bloomberg as the speaker for commencement has been surrounded by controversy. Many articles have been printed expressing outrage and disgust with the university’s choice; however, these articles refuse to acknowledge anything Bloomberg accomplished outside of the political world of New York City. I, like many of us, have never lived in New York, but I have chosen to review the legacy of Bloomberg differently by attempting to understand the environment surrounding his election and tenure, as well as the man beyond the twelve years he served as mayor. This article is not belittling those students who have valid misgivings about Bloomberg as a political figure, but instead it offers the opinion that there was more than just his policies as mayor that led to his selection as commencement speaker.
Bloomberg began his ascent of the social ladder upon his graduation from Harvard Business School in 1966. He rapidly rose on Wall Street, and eventually used money earned from a severance package to start a business that would make him one of the richest men in the world, with an estimated net worth of $33 billion.
After developing such immense wealth, Bloomberg chose to do what he perceived to be the best thing for a city he loved: run for political office. Upon being elected, his subsequent actions as mayor were controversial, but if being a controversial politician disqualifies you from consideration for commencement speeches, then Harvard would have some very serious consistency issues. Bloomberg ascended to the position of mayor directly following the tragedy of 9/11, and was charged with returning some semblance of normalcy to a city that suffered the greatest attack against the United States in living memory. Bloomberg assumed a position of action, and boldly took measures to prevent crime, and keep New York City from returning to the frightening environment it had experienced in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s, all without accepting a salary of more than $1 annually. Hindsight has always proven to be 20/20, but many in New York supported Bloomberg in his campaign by re-electing him until this past year, when he could no longer run for office.
Graduation from Harvard is a once in a lifetime experience enjoyed by the elite that are not only accepted, but also complete four years of rigorous academic training. We are all taught to seek truth, and in that pursuit, we develop opinions that are reinforced by the wisdom learned from our esteemed faculty and experiences here. In the end, our commencement should feature a person who can provide an interesting perspective of the real problems in today’s world, problems Harvard believes we can address and solve. I believe Bloomberg adequately fulfills this requirement.