Oprah Winfrey to speak at Harvard

Talk titan Oprah Winfrey will be Harvards 362nd commencement speaker, addressing the graduates at the May 30 ceremonies, the university announced this morning.

Oprahs journey from her grandmothers Mississippi farm to becoming one of the worlds most admired women is one of the great American success stories, university president Drew Faust told the Harvard Gazette. She has used her extraordinary influence and reach as a force for good in the world, with a constant focus on the importance of educational opportunity and the virtues of serving others.

Winfreys groundbreaking nationally syndicated talk show ran for more than two decades, before she left it to start her own Oprah Winfrey Network. The media mogul also runs her own production company, Harpo Studios, and O magazine.

The university also cited Winfreys wide array of educational, civic, and charitable pursuits as well as her influential book club and the federal legislation she championed to establish a national database of convicted child abusers.