Conan O’Brien ’85 named Commencement speaker

Comedy legend who once led Lampoon will deliver principal address on May 28

March 5, 2026

2 min read

Pamela Littky for HBO Max

Part of the
Commencement 2026
series

A collection of features and graduate profiles covering Harvard’s 375th Commencement.

Comedian, writer, television host, and Harvard alumnus Conan O’Brien will be the principal speaker at Harvard’s 375th Commencement on May 28.

“Conan O’Brien is a singular and outstanding American humorist,” said President Alan M. Garber. “His work, deeply rooted in close listening and keen observation, creates joyful connections between and among ideas and people. I look forward to sharing the stage with him in Tercentenary Theatre later this year. Harvard is tremendously fortunate to call him one of our own.”

One of America’s most beloved comedians, O’Brien rose to prominence as a writer for “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons,” earning an Emmy Award before becoming the host of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” in 1993. O’Brien’s role as a talk-show host would continue for nearly three decades, over which he built a devoted following attracted to his offbeat, intimate, and self-deprecating humor.

O’Brien’s fans have followed him beyond his late-night work. His travel shows “Conan Without Borders” and “Conan O’Brien Must Go” — which included trips to Armenia, Haiti, South Korea, and Ireland — were praised not only for their humor, but for their warmth and curiosity. His podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” has become one of the most popular interview podcasts, offering an even more personal and unscripted setting for O’Brien and his guests. In recognition of his influence on American comedy, O’Brien was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2025.

A native of Brookline and member of Harvard’s Class of 1985, O’Brien served as a two-term president of the Harvard Lampoon and graduated with a degree in History and Literature. Decades later, a fan handed O’Brien a photocopy of his undergraduate thesis, “Literary Progeria in the Works of William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor,” minutes before he was set to deliver a performance. “I knew then it was time to die,” he later joked.

O’Brien has remained connected to the University throughout his career, appearing often on campus and speaking at both Harvard’s 2000 Class Day and its 2020 virtual graduation ceremony. He has encouraged students to experiment widely with coursework and extracurriculars and to push through insecurity, which he said he faced as a student and throughout his career.

O’Brien also will be awarded an honorary degree.