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Thousands of graduates, families, and faculty rose to their feet in a nearly one-minute long standing ovation for Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 as he took the stage.

Garber, taken by surprise, smiled.

The moment marked a fierce show of support for Garber amid a turbulent year at Harvard. Since defying the Trump administration’s demands in April and filing two high-profile lawsuits against the White House, Garber has been paraded as a national standard-bearer for higher education.

“Welcome to the members of the Class of 2025,” he said, calming the audience down.

But as his speech continued, the graduates did not sit still, giving Garber yet another standing ovation.

The support for Garber stood in sharp contrast to how leaders of other Ivy League institutions have been received at their schools’ graduation ceremonies. At Columbia University, acting president Claire Shipman faced boos and heckling from hundreds of students who denounced her handling of pro-Palestine protests on campus.

—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.

—Staff writer Grace E. Yoon can be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @graceunkyoon.