The first preserved example of a Baccalaureate sermon was given to the Class of 1794, delivered by Hollis Professor of Divinity David Tappan.

No doubt appalled by Commencement's characteristic overindulgence, Tappan chose to discuss a verse from Paul's Epistle to Titus: "Young men likewise exhort to be sober-minded."

The preacher's exhortation warned against the peculiar susceptibility of Harvard's young men to the influences of "heathen classes" and reminded them of the benefits of sobriety.

"This is the sure, the only path to dignity and honor," Tappan said.

With the 19th century began the practice, still maintained, of singing Psalm 78 at each sermon to the tune of "St. Martin's."

The choice of speaker has always belonged to the seniors and from the 19th century until today, they have always invited the University president to preach.

With laypeople at the pulpit, the service moved away from strict liturgical sermonizing to more secular concerns. Often, the president used the gravity of a religious service to underscore universal ethical concerns.