President Obama is fondly voicing support for his close friend and mentor, Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree, who has revealed he has Alzheimer’s disease.
Obama has spoken of Ogletree, 63, as a constant source of inspiration to him, particularly during difficult times. In a statement to the Globe, the president said Tuesday that he and his wife, Michelle, are saddened to hear of the diagnosis. Both graduated from Harvard Law School.
“Professor Charles Ogletree has been a dear friend and mentor to Michelle and me since we met him as law students more than two decades ago,” Obama said. “But we are just two of the many people he has helped, supported, taught, advised, and encouraged throughout his life.
Boston Globe