Author, Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks to deliver keynote speech at Lafayette’s 191st Commencement

Arthur C. Brooks | Photo provided by Jenny Sherman Photography

Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard University professor and bestselling author, will deliver the keynote address for Lafayette’s 191st Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 23.

“When I think of the moment we are in with the 250th anniversary of our nation and the bicentennial of the College, it is a time to celebrate our history and cast a vision for the future,” says Lafayette College President Nicole Hurd. “Arthur Brooks is the teacher and scholar who is inspiring our nation to think about ‘the pursuit of happiness.’ As we launch our graduates into a complex world and begin our third century as a liberal arts institution, I can think of no better leader than Arthur to challenge us all to reflect on living with love, purpose, and meaning.”

Brooks is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He is the author of 15 books, including No. 1 New York Times bestsellers Build the Life You Want (2023), co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, and From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. His latest book, The Meaning of Your Life, is scheduled for release on March 31 and offers practical, evidence-based strategies for breaking free of the powerful trends and personal habits that dull the focus on the purpose of life. 

Brooks joined CBS’ The Free Press earlier this year with a new weekly column, “The Pursuit of Happiness,” which grapples with how today’s greatest moral questions impact our sense of meaning, purpose, and joy—and provides data-driven insights on how to achieve a good life in the modern world. He is also a CBS News contributor and host of the weekly podcast “Office Hours with Arthur Brooks.”

Brooks appears in the media and travels the world to teach people in private companies, universities, public agencies, and faith communities how they can live happier lives and bring greater well-being to others.

Brooks writes in his inaugural column at The Free Press, “I feel I have a sacred vocation: to lift others up and bring them together. We all must work on our own happiness, but that project is best and most joyfully done together.”

The College’s 191st Commencement ceremony will mark a key milestone in Lafayette’s yearlong Bicentennial celebration. To explore all the ways in which Lafayette College is celebrating its past, present, and future as it embarks on its third century, visit the Bicentennial website.