Charles Ogletree Photo Gallery

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Tommy Amaker, The Thomas G. Stemberg '71 Family Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Basketball, The James Herscot '58 Coach of Excellence, introduced this morning the Charles Ogletree Humanitarian Award. The announcement occurred virtually during Amaker's Breakfast Club.
 
The award is slated to be presented annually to the Harvard player "who embodies Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree's devotion and commitment to selfless service in the Harvard community and beyond."
 
"In my time here at Harvard, I have been incredibly fortunate to be a part of many meaningful moments – championships, graduations, ceremonies," Amaker said. "None are more meaningful to me personally than having the honor of announcing the Charles Ogletree Humanitarian Award. 
 
"When I was hired 14 years ago, I was told that there were four Harvard figures who would be instrumental in helping to realize the vision we had for Harvard Basketball: Dean Emeritus of Harvard Business School John McArthur, Boston business icon and all-around "Harvard Man" Joe O'Donnell, former Harvard Business School Professor Jim Cash, and Professor Ogletree. 'Tree,' as he is affectionately known among friends and colleagues, reached out to me before I even got to him. He and his wife, Pam, welcomed my wife, Stephanie, and me with open arms from the moment we arrived on campus. Our frequent breakfasts, which led to the formation of The Breakfast Club, were a source of amazing wisdom and support. While in better health, Tree was also a mainstay courtside at Lavietes Pavilion, and mentored numerous players in our program over the years. It would be impossible to write the story of Harvard Basketball during my time without Professor Ogletree."
 
The Breakfast Club, which convenes monthly throughout the academic year, is comprised of a diverse group of highly respected members of the Harvard and greater Boston communities. The group has provided men's basketball players with unparalleled opportunities to meet community and business leaders, as well as social activists, in a casual setting. Distinguished guests have included current Massachusetts Governor (and Harvard Basketball alum) Charlie Baker '79, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick '78, J.D. '82, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan '87, and Boston Celtics legend "Satch" Sanders.
 
Ogletree, the Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law Emeritus, earned an M.A. (1975) and B.A. (1974, with distinction) in political science from Stanford, where he was Phi Beta Kappa, before obtaining his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1978.
 
An advocate for civil rights, Ogletree began his teaching career at Harvard Law School in 1984, and during his time in Cambridge, established the Criminal Justice Institute and the famed "Saturday School," which brought to light important legal issues to Harvard Law School's minority students. He also served as a mentor to former United States President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, while also penning a number of books on race and justice.
 
When not in the classroom, Ogletree could occasionally be found on television as he was a well-respected expert in the field. As a former member of the District of Columbia Public Defender Service, Ogletree held moderator roles on multiple television shows, including "Ethics in America," and appeared on numerous national TV news programs.
 
A native of Merced, California, Ogletree founded the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice in September 2005, and is its Faculty Director Emeritus. The Institute served as a tribute to the legendary civil rights lawyer who mentored and taught the likes of Thurgood Marshall and Oliver Hill.
 
Ogletree, who as an attorney represented Anita Hill and Tupac Shakur, has been the recipient of countless prestigious awards, including the 2009 ABA Spirit of Excellence Award, recognizing his many contributions to the legal profession, and was named in 2008, one of the 50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America by the National Law Journal.
 
Perhaps the greatest evidence of his impact occurred in 2017, when at a symposium in his honor, Harvard Law School announced an endowed professorship that bestowed his name, the Charles J. Ogletree Jr. Chair in Race and Criminal Justice.