ation ▁ceremony . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁the ▁senior ▁class ▁elected ▁Morgan ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁class ▁day ▁or ation . ▁Morgan ' s ▁selection ▁was ▁un pre ced ented : ▁not ▁only ▁was ▁he ▁Harvard ' s ▁first ▁African - American ▁class ▁day ▁speaker , ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁working - class ▁student ▁to ▁receive ▁an ▁honor ▁normally ▁reserved ▁for ▁those ▁from ▁el ite ▁Boston ▁Bra h min ▁families . ▁ ▁The ▁election ▁made ▁national ▁head lines ; ▁most ▁were ▁con gr at ul atory , ▁although ▁several ▁Southern ▁newsp apers ▁published ▁mock ing ▁editor ial s . ▁Harvard ▁officials ▁made ▁a ▁point ▁of ▁avoid ing ▁public ity , ▁not ▁wish ing ▁to ▁suggest ▁that ▁his ▁selection ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁anything ▁other ▁than ▁mer it , ▁and ▁Morgan ▁himself ▁refused ▁to ▁speak ▁to ▁the ▁press . ▁An ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁Boston ▁Glo be ▁article ▁describes ▁Morgan ▁as ▁" a ▁dign ified ▁young ▁man , ▁with ▁the ▁man ners ▁of ▁a ▁Ch ester field . ▁He ▁is ▁ 5 ▁feet ▁ 6 ▁inches ▁in ▁height , ▁broad ▁should ered ▁and ▁quite ▁dark ▁in ▁color , ▁with ▁a ▁wide ▁fore head ▁and ▁brilliant ▁eyes ." ▁Colonel ▁Thomas ▁W ent worth ▁H ig gin son , ▁who ▁knew ▁Morgan , ▁spoke ▁highly ▁of ▁him ▁and ▁added , ▁" I ▁do ▁not ▁recall ▁a ▁single ▁case ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁young ▁man ▁has ▁shown ▁greater ▁end urance ▁in ▁struggling ▁against ▁all ▁kinds ▁of ▁opposition ." ▁ ▁A ▁rig orous ▁procedure ▁was