Salutatorian is an academic title given in Armenia, the Philippines and the United States to the second-highest-ranked graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average (GPA) and number of credits taken, but consideration may also be given to other factors such as co-curricular and extracurricular activities. The title comes from the salutatorian's traditional role as the first speaker at a graduation ceremony, delivering the salutation (where the valedictorian, on the other hand, speaks last, delivering the valediction). In a high school setting, a salutatorian may also be asked to speak about the current graduating class or to deliver an invocation or benediction. In some instances, the salutatorian may even deliver an introduction for the valedictorian. The general themes of a salutation and valediction are usually of growth, outlook towards the future, and thankfulness. [1] [2] [3]
At Harvard University [4] and Princeton University, [5] a Latin orator, often a classics major, is chosen for his or her ability to write and deliver a speech to the audience in that language. At Princeton, this speaker is known as the "Latin salutatorian". At Harvard the Latin oration is called the "Latin Salutatory" and is the first of three student orations, and fulfills the traditional function of salutation. [4] These traditions date from the earliest years of the universities, when all graduates were expected to have attained proficiency in Latin [6] and Greek. [7]
Notable Latin salutatorians at Harvard include T.S Eliot in 1909 and Erich Segal in 1958. [8]
