Columnist Art Buchwald will be this year's Class Day Speaker, the 1976 Class Committee announced yesterday. Buchwald will address graduating seniors at the Class Day Exercises on June 16.

Margaret C. Ross '76, co-chairman of the Class Day Subcommittee, said yesterday that the subcommittee submitted Buchwald's name to the entire class committee on March 22 after its first choice, Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-Tex.), twice rejected the committee's invitation to speak.

Committee members approved of Buchwald on the 24th, and he accepted the Class Day offer last Friday. Buchwald, a syndicated columnist, was unavailable for comment last night.

A List of Twelve

He was among a list of twelve candidates compiled by the subcommittee from the results of a poll last fall asking seniors to state their choice for Class Day Speaker.

"A lot of people on the committee wanted somebody humorous," Ross said yesterday, "but they didn't want a political candidate in an election year. Since Buchwald is a political humorist, we were very glad to get him."

Ross said that Buchwald will not receive a fee for his speech, but will be provided with funds for travelling and lodging expenses. He is the second consecutive humorist to be chosen as Class Day Speaker, following comedian/activist Dick Gregory who spoke at last year's exercises.