Former pharmaceutical executive Kenneth Frazier is set to deliver the 2026 commencement address on May 17. A former lawyer turned executive, Frazier has used his time and influence to advocate for health justice and give back to his community. At the ceremony, Frazier hopes to share his experiences, inspire a sense of optimism in his audience and remind them of the importance of perseverance and contributing to society at large.
Born in 1954, Frazier grew up in inner-city Philadelphia, where his father worked as a janitor. As a child, his dream was to become a civil rights lawyer like his greatest inspiration, Thurgood Marshall.
“Marshall inspired me to think of the law as a tool for positive social change and equality for all Americans,” Frazier wrote in a statement to the Daily.
He later pursued his dream, attending The Pennsylvania State University and, eventually, Harvard Law School. After graduating, he worked at the law firm Drinker Biddle & Reath, known for its pro-bono service, before transitioning to serve as general counsel for Merck & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. He was eventually appointed chairman and then CEO, becoming the first Black American leader of a pharmaceutical company.
“I planned to spend my career in the courtroom fighting against legal injustices. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once declared ‘Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.’ Because of my own background, I tried to help people understand the importance of making medicines available to all segments of our community,” Frazier wrote.
After retiring as CEO of Merck & Co. in 2021, Frazier now works as the chairman of health assurance at General Catalyst, a global investment and venture capital company based in Cambridge, Mass. He has been named twice to Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
He is currently focused on addressing needs in his hometown of Philadelphia, where he is a founding board member of a privately funded inner city school and a founder of a health center focused on the intersection of nutrition and health.
“I’ve tried to use my platform to address some of these concerns through action, not just through words,” Frazier wrote. “Having been granted a position of influence, I felt the responsibility to remember where I came from and to use my position to benefit others particularly patients waiting and hoping for the next cure.”
Frazier has remained politically outspoken and active throughout his career, and he encourages students to take on that same perspective and give back to their respective communities.
“I think it’s important to realize that, while the media focuses primarily on what’s happening in Washington, DC, we can all make a difference in our local communities and personal spheres of influence,” he wrote.
Frazier has written in the past about the importance of access to health care and the economic justice gap. When asked about criticism of some Americans levy at pharmaceutical companies, denouncing their role in perpetuating higher health care costs, Frazier remarked on the tragedy of inaccessible and unaffordable health care in the U.S. He also maintained that biomedical research is incredibly resource-intensive and requires funding and support.
“I think that the industry has a responsibility, along with other healthcare players, like insurers, to try to do what it can to get these drugs to people who need them,” Frazier wrote. “But at the same time, I also think it’s important to recognize that biomedical research and the quest for new and better therapies is incredibly costly and risky. We need to be able to have enough resources to invest in discovering medicines and vaccines that are not yet available for people who are waiting and hoping for new cures.”
In the midst of times of uncertainty, Frazier hopes to inspire students and encourage them to make the most of their time at university.
“I also hope that despite current ‘clouds’ in the economy and employment market, that [students] recognize that, in the long term, a Tufts education will be a very valuable credential and resource for them in whatever endeavor they choose,” Frazier wrote.
Married to a Tufts alumna, Frazier said in his statement to the Daily that he is constantly reminded of how special Tufts is as an institution.
Leadership at Tufts is excited to welcome Frazier as a speaker for the culmination of the Class of 2026’s time at Tufts.
“We’re honored to have Ken Frazier as this year’s commencement speaker. His long and distinguished career as an executive, attorney, and healthcare trailblazer will serve as a great example to this year’s extraordinary graduating class,” Robin Smyton, assistant director of media relations, wrote in a statement to the Daily. “We’re delighted that he has agreed to join us and we look forward to welcoming him on May 17.”
