Harvard University will be led by a person of color for the first time in its nearly 400-year history

Claudine Gay is the first person of color to become president of Harvard University.

Gay has been teaching government and African and African American Studies at the university for 16 years. She became the Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She was the Dean of Social Science for three years.

Gay was elected to the presidency on December 15 by the Harvard Corporation and the University's Board of Overseers. On July 1, she will take on the new role.

Gay expressed her joy and gratitude in a new video.

Gay says that the role is about supporting people who pursue ideas. Talking to a colleague working in a field that is new to me or hearing the questions that are on the mind of a new generation of students gives me more joy, more energy, than anything else. I can see the world with new eyes.

Gay's parents paved the way for her to pursue a career in academics when she was a child.

They came to the U.S. with little more than a high school degree. Education makes everything possible, that's what they think. Being an academic allowed me to achieve a dream I had never imagined.

After earning her B.A. in economics, Gay went on to earn her PhD at Harvard.

The university's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging is upheld by her appointment. According to the Harvard University website, 15.2% of the admitted class of 2026 identify as African American, an increase from just 12.7% in 2020.

Gay says that as a woman of color and daughter of immigrants, it is a great honor to be a part of the Harvard community.

For those who are beyond our gates, if this leads them to look anew at Harvard, then my appointment will have meaning for me that goes beyond words.

Gay expressed her commitment to carry on the legacies of the leaders who came before her as she looked back on the accomplishments of the university.

Our community is large and diverse and we are all united by our commitment to academic excellence and leadership. The path to excellence is not only academic freedom and wide open inquiry, it is how we harness our diversity to build the legacy that our institution deserves.

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