A Letter from Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow

Dear Mr. President-elect:

I am pleased to offer my warmest congratulations on your election as the 46th president of the United States. As we look ahead to the nation’s 245th year, it is my hope that you will be guided by our history, uplifted by our ideals, and inspired by the best among us, including those who were born elsewhere but who built their lives in the US.

Nearly every country in the world admits immigrants, but the United States has long been defined by the immigrant origins of many of our citizens. Throughout our history, waves of immigrants have come here and made this country their home. With energy, talent, and determination, immigrants have helped make our nation, economy, and communities stronger and more prosperous. Higher education has played an important role in this pipeline—identifying extraordinary students and scholars throughout the world, attracting them to the US, and developing their talents, which has resulted in new ideas and innovations that have benefitted all of us.

Read the full letter from Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow to President-elect Joseph Biden