• Tom Hanks received an honorary doctorate of arts from Harvard University during his commencement address
  • Hanks jokingly confessed that being a celebrity helped him receive the degree “without having done a lick of work”
  • In his speech, Hanks emphasized the importance of standing up against indifference
  • He encouraged graduates to embrace liberty and freedom for all and warned against despots and tyrants who suppress dissent and ban art and dialogue
  • Harvard’s theater group performed a song listing out Hanks’ extensive film credits before his speech
  • During the ceremony, Harvard reunited Hanks with an old friend, a volleyball, referencing his movie “Cast Away”