Tercentenary Theatre

   Widener Library, Memorial Church, Sever Hall, and University Hall encircle the New Yard, a crossroads of academic life. In 1936, to honor Harvard's 300th-anniversary celebration, the New Yard was dubbed Tercentenary Theatre. Every June, graduating students, their families, friends, and other well-wishers pack Tercentenary Theatre for Commencement. The colorful tradition includes parades, costumes, speeches, music, and the conferring of degrees.