Campus & Community

Reception closes festivities

2 min read

The final event in the inauguration of President Drew Faust took place on Friday (Oct. 12) at Loeb House and its surrounding grounds under two large tents. Cool air did nothing to chill the warm atmosphere at the private reception that welcomed close to 1,000 guests.

Round tables covered with autumn-colored cloths framed the tents’ edges, floral displays adorned tables full of cheeses and vegetables, and servers passed around hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and a pink champagne cocktail. Guests were treated to the sounds of a three-piece jazz trio throughout the two-hour event.

Faust cheerfully made her way through the packed, outdoor crowd, the eye at the center of a swirling hurricane of friends, colleagues, and politicians, all waiting for the chance to shake hands and wish her well.

“It’s a glorious day,” said James R. Houghton, Senior Fellow of the Harvard Corporation. “We’ve chosen an exciting new president who combines decisiveness with an ability to listen.”

“She doesn’t easily compromise on what she believes,” said Faust’s daughter, Jessica Rosenberg ’04, who praised her mother’s unwavering commitment to her principles. “As a child, [that] was very valuable to me; now it will be very valuable to Harvard.”

Cambridge City Councilor Brian Murphy remarked on Faust’s recent visit to meet with the city’s administration.

“It was a very nice gesture for her to come to City Hall and reach out,” he said. “I am hopeful there will be many opportunities for us to work together for the betterment both of Cambridge and Harvard.”