Home Run King Aaron Will Speak at Class Day

Baseball great Hank Aaron will speak at Class Day on June 7, the senior class marshals announced yesterday.

All involved in the selection process were pleased with the choice, said First Harvard Marshal Jamie Miller '95-'96.

"Everybody unanimously supported Hank Aaron," Miller said. "He's a pretty amazing hero for our class."

Aaron, one of the first Blacks in the major leagues, broke Babe Ruth's seemingly insurmountable career home run record in 1974 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

Aaron, a right fielder nicknamed 'Hammering Hank,' played most of his 23-year career with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves.

When he retired in 1976, he had 755 home runs and held major league records for games played, at-bats, runs batted in and extra base hits.

All of the marshals interviewed yesterday emphasized that Aaron is someone who has endured hardships such as racial prejudice and succeeded nevertheless.

"He was one of the first Blacks to break the color line and he became the most successful home-run hitter in history," said Third Harvard Marshal Ernie Minelli '95. "He did that at a time when not everyone was willing to accept him. I think he could teach us a lot about perseverance and courage and humility."

Miller said that in light of the recently ended baseball strike, Aaron is an especially inspirational figure.

"We've lost some faith in our baseball players," Miller said. "He brings us back to a time when baseball players' primary goal was to get out onto the field and hit the leather off the ball."

In contrast to recent years, the senior class' speaker preferences were distinctly unpolitical, said First Radcliffe Marshal Elena T. Huang '95.

"The last few years, [the choices] have been very political," Huang said. She cited last year's pairing of Class Day speaker Lani Guinier and Commencement speaker Al Gore '69 and the previous year's duo of Class Day speaker Marian Wright Edelman and Commencement speaker Colin S. Powell.

Aaron's selection process began in the houses. Students in all 13 of Harvard's houses (including Dudley House) listed speaker suggestions.

"We got [hundreds] of suggestions, really good suggestions, from our class," said Third Radcliffe Marshal Heidi M. Thompson '95.

The 25-member class committee, consisting of the eight marshals, a secretary-treasurer, an assistant treasurer, the senior gift co-chairs and the 13 house representatives, then discussed many possibilities and hit upon Hank Aaron.

It took a little persuading to get him to accept, however.

"We had to work with him," Miller said. "It's just a matter of convincing someone how special that day is to us." Class Day speakers receive no stipends, only lodging and transportation costs, for their speeches.

Aaron spoke last week at Mather House. But that appearance was purely coincidental, Thompson said.

Aaron will be a cross-generational favorite, Minelli said.

"Not many of us remember him as a baseballplayer, but people of our parents' generation andeven our grandparents' generation respect andadmire what he did in his skills as a baseballplayer," Minelli said. "He transcendsgenerations."

Thompson emphasized said Aaron's heroism as aquality that especially struck the classcommittee.

"What most people were impressed with is theway he works for the recognition of equality forall people," Thompson said. He stands for "a lotof the ideals that our country stands for," shesaid.

And Miller summed up neatly the effect Aaronwill have on those who watch him speak.

"I think he'll touch a lot of bases in ourclass," Miller said. "I hope he'll be a hit.

"Not many of us remember him as a baseballplayer, but people of our parents' generation andeven our grandparents' generation respect andadmire what he did in his skills as a baseballplayer," Minelli said. "He transcendsgenerations."

Thompson emphasized said Aaron's heroism as aquality that especially struck the classcommittee.

"What most people were impressed with is theway he works for the recognition of equality forall people," Thompson said. He stands for "a lotof the ideals that our country stands for," shesaid.

And Miller summed up neatly the effect Aaronwill have on those who watch him speak.

"I think he'll touch a lot of bases in ourclass," Miller said. "I hope he'll be a hit.