Notable Filipino Graduates of Harvard University

1.) Dinky Soliman ( M.P.A.) Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary
2.) Jesse Robredo (M.P.A.) Former DILG Secretary and Naga City Mayor
3.) Juan Edgardo Angara (Ll.M) Senator of the Republic of the Philippines
4.) Dr. Fe Del Mundo (M.D.) National Scientist
5.) Juan Ponce Enrile (Ll.M.) Former Senate President and Senator of the Republic of
the Philippines
6.) Jovito Salonga (Ll.M) Former Senate President of the Republic of the Philippines
7.) Andres Bautista (Ll.M) PCGG Chairman, FEU-DLSU Law School Dean
8.) Cesar Villanueva (Ll.M) Ateneo Law School Dean
9.) Adel Tamano (Ll.M) President of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila
10.) Gilberto Gibo Teodoro (Ll.M) 1989 Bar Topnotcher and 2010 Presidential
candidate
11.) Raul C. Pangalangan (Ll.M and S.J.D.) Former UP College of law Dean and
Philippine Daily Inquirer Publisher
12.) Vicente Abad Santos (Ll.M) UP College of Law Dean
13.) Fernando Zobel De Ayala (B.S. and M.B.A.) Ayala Land properties Inc.
14.) Francis Pangilinan (M.P.A.) former Philippine Senator

15.) Ralph G. Recto (M.B.A.) Senator of the Republic of the Philippines

16.) Florencio Butch Abad (M.P.A.) former Batanes Congressman, current Department
of Budget and Management secretary
17.) Rafael Alunan (M.P.A.) former cabinet member of the late President Corzaon
Aquino
18.) Julia Abad (M.P.P.) Presidential Management Staff Chief of President Benigno C.
Aquino
19.) Oscar Lopez (B.S.) Chairman Emeritus of Lopez Holdings Corporation
21.) Eugenio Lopez Sr. (Ll.M) Founder of the Manila Chronicle and Manila Broadcasting
Network
22.) Eugenio Gabby Lopez III (M.B.A.) Chairman of ABS-CBN
23.) Annette Gozon-Abrogar (Ll.M) GMA Films President
24.) Ernesto Maceda (Ll.M) Former Senate President of the Republic of the Philippines
25.) Miriam Defensor-Santiago (Ll.M) International Court of Justice Judge and Philippine
Senator
26.) Teodoro Regala (Ll.M.) Founding partner of ACCRA Law Firm
27.) Renato Corona (Ll.M.) Former Chief Justice of the Republic of the Philippines
28.) Karen Jimeno (Ll.M) Spokesperson of Corona camp; Professor and TV Host
29.) Estelito Mendoza (Ll.M) former Solicitor General
30.) Andres Narvasa (Ll.M.) Former Supreme Court of the Philippines Chief Justice

31.) Marcelo Fernan (Ll.M) Former Supreme Court of the Philippines Chief Justice

Master of Public Administration

#10: Matt Damon
Growing up in the Crimson-colored town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, this
eventual Academy Award-winner focused his sights on Harvard, literally and
figuratively. The future star of the Jason Bourne franchise first enrolled in
1988, and kicked off his acting career that same year with a small role in the
film Mystic Pizza. Despite a promising three years on campus, he failed to
earn a degree after dashing off to LA to appear in the box office bomb,
Geronimo: An American Legend. Two decades later, Matt Damon has
graduated to Hollywood immortality, and in the famous words of Will
Hunting: How do you like them apples?

#9: Steve Ballmer

This 1977 magna cum laude grad was a busy guy during his Harvard era: he
was a manager for the Crimson football squad, spent time at both the
Harvard Crimson newspaper and the Harvard Advocate magazine, and was a
mathematical wizard who outscored fellow student Bill Gates. Today, NBA
fans know Steve Ballmer as the overly excited owner of the Los Angeles
Clippers, but his 14-year tenure as the CEO of Microsoft earned him a swanky
ranking on the Forbes 400. His business acumen makes rivals nervous, while
his philanthropy makes young students smile. Hes Steve Ballmer, the
energetic billionaire.

#8: John F. Kennedy

The 35th President of the United States first walked onto the Harvard campus
in the mid-1930s and became everybodys favorite party planner when he
was put on the 1936 edition of the annual Freshman Smoker. He also
showed off his natural athleticism as a football and swim team member. But
eventually, he turned to more serious matters, focusing on his interest in
politics and producing a thesis entitled Why England Slept, which became a
bestselling book. Decorated military service followed and although Kennedy
once seemed destined to become a journalist, the death of his older brother
Joseph propelled him to become the familys next great politician. The rest,
as they say, is history.

#7: Conan OBrien

With a father who was a professor of medicine at the school, this red-haired
underclassman followed suit and enrolled at Harvard in 1981. There, he
became a comedy writer for the Lampoon, and within a few years of leaving
he was one of the TV industrys most promising writers. Conan was creating
classic bits for Saturday Night Live during the late 80s and led The
Simpsons into surrealism by the early 90s. Despite a fledgling career
behind the scenes, OBrien ultimately became on of Americas most beloved
late night talk show hosts. Whether its his unique sketches or zany voices,
Conans combination of intellect and physical comedy makes his daily
performances a treat to watch.

#6: Al Gore
This Ivy Leaguer once struggled academically at Harvard, but a sudden
reawakening inspired him to graduate with distinction, and an interest
environmental matters that followed him throughout his career. Gore
shocked his fellow graduates by enlisting in the Army in 1969 to aide his
fathers political career, and later shocked opponents with his own swift rise
to political prominence. By 1992, Gore had been elected U.S. Vice President
and was instrumental in the worldwide advancement of the Information
Superhighway. Although Gore didnt single-handedly invent the Internet, hes
managed to effectively transform how a new generation perceives the world,
not to mention his efforts in raising awareness on climate change.

#5: Barack Obama

While Al Gore was innovating technology in the early-90s, this man was
gaining recognition by becoming the first African-American president of The
Harvard Law Review. Armed with a Juris Doctor and his knack for vocal
performance, Barack Obama gained a devoted following as an Illinois State
Senator and was elected as the first African-American President of the United
States in 2008 and the eighth president to have graduated from Harvard.
Agree or disagree with his politics, Obamas accomplishments are
unprecedented, and hes a political trailblazer of the highest order.

#4: Sumner Redstone

As one of Americas most iconic businessmen, this 1944 Harvard graduate
and WWII veteran coined the phrase Content is king. After earning his
Bachelor of Laws also from Harvard Redstone served as CEO of National
Amusements during the 60s and invested heavily in Hollywoods elite movie
studios. The finance whiz unloaded his film stock in the early-80s, and soon
after became a key figure of Viacom. Redstone was instrumental in turning
the company into a media empire that included Paramount Pictures, at a
time when the company was producing successes like Forrest Gump,
Braveheart and Titanic. And so, as he transformed American pop culture,
this modern media giant kept wheeling and dealing all the way to the bank.

#3: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

He was an experienced sailor by the age of 16 and fluent in both German
and French. As the editor-in-chief of the Harvard Crimson, Franklin Delano
Roosevelt watched his fifth cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, become President of
the United States, and over thirty years later he would take his own oath as
commander-in-chief. FDR was elected to the Presidency four times during
Hitlers reign in Germany, and Roosevelts policies shaped the world long
after his final breath in 1945. Though not a stellar student, Roosevelt was
raised to be a leader and he embraced the role fearlessly.

#2: Mark Zuckerberg

Originally a Harvard dorm room project, Facebook has become an integral
part of global communication and instant connections. Mark Zuckerberg
never finished his Harvard education, but his ideas and astute business
acumen opened the doors for a social phenomenon unlike any other. As
chairman and CEO of Facebook, Zuckerberg has become synonymous with a
new epoch in world history and has, along with fellow billionaires like Bill
Gates and Warren Buffett, pledged to donate a majority of his earnings to
charity. Hes a seemingly accidental billionaire with a most impressive set of
skills, and hes putting them to good use.
Before we hand the diploma to our top pick, here are a few honorable
mentions:
- Natalie Portman
- Tommy Lee Jones

- John Adams
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Sheryl Sandberg

#1: Bill Gates

Money. Power. Respect. Bill Gates embodies the idea that you must pave
your own path to greatness. Once a dorm room geek, this human dream
factory made a powerful impact during his brief tenure at Harvard University,
which began in 1973; but he swiftly departed to realize the visionary idea
that would become Microsoft, which ultimately rocked the world of computer
software. Gates has often been recognized as the wealthiest man on the
planet, but together with his wife, the couple has donated over $28-billion to
charity. In other words, Bill Gates walks the walk, and most importantly, he
talks to the talk.