Guide Note

Harvard University is the oldest college in the United States. It is considered one of the best institutions of higher learning worldwide.

Fast Facts

Member of the Ivy League
Established: 1636
Location: Cambridge, MA
President: Drew Gilpin Faust
Faculty: Approximately 2,500
Nickname: Crimson
Motto: Veritas - Latin for "Truth"
Mascot: John Harvard

Early history

Harvard University was initially named New College, and located in Newtown (now Cambridge), Massachusetts. It was founded in 1636, largely to educate ministers; construction for the school did not begin until 1638. In 1639, it was renamed after John Harvard, who upon his death at the age of 31 in 1638 bequeathed his entire library (400 books) and half his estate (779 pounds) to the school. A catastrophic fire in 1764 destroyed nearly every book the university had, including most of the books donated by John Harvard. The only surviving books were those that had been checked out from the library. Legend has it that only one book donated by John Harvard, "The Christian Warfare Against the Devil World and Flesh", survived.

Expansion

Despite its age and reputation for producing exceptional scholars, the university remained relatively small until 1869, when new university president Charles W. Eliot decided to expand it into a world-class institution on the level of the University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. Enrollment tripled, faculty numbers more than quintupled, and the university founded a sister school, Radcliffe College, to educate women.

Modernization

In the early 20th century, President A. Lawrence Lowell changed the structure of education at Harvard to require both a field of concentration and a grounding in a diverse range of subjects. He also created a system of dormitories called "Houses" in which all undergraduates except freshmen would live. Each house took on its own character based on the interests of its residents. Though some modifications of his efforts took place over the next century (for example, Radcliffe students attending Harvard University classes beginning in 1943 and Radcliffe's eventual absorption into Harvard University, and President Derek Bok's establishment of the Core Curriculum), the Harvard University of the 21st century still largely bears the imprint of Lowell's legacy.

Prestigious alumns

Harvard University has produced seven United States presidents, and over 40 Nobel laureates.

Categories

Universities | Education

View Note History

Harvard University

The Mahalo Top 7

Official University Site: Harvard University
Location Website: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Graduate School Website: Graduate and Professional Schools
Official Athletics Site: Harvard University "Crimson" Athletics
Wikipedia: Harvard University
Princeton Review: Harvard University
Official University Merchandise: Harvard Book Store

Harvard University News

Harvard University: The Harvard University Gazette
Campus Newspaper: The Harvard Crimson
Location Newspaper: The Boston Globe
Google News: Harvard University
Ars Technica: Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences goes Open Access (February 14, 2008)
FOXNews.com: Harvard Boosts Financial Aid (Dec. 10, 2007)

Harvard University Basics

Official Site: Harvard at a Glance
Founded: 1636
Faculty: Approx. 2,500
Undergraduates: Approx. 6,700
Postgraduates: Approx. 2,400

Harvard University Leadership

President: Drew Gilpin Faust
- 2007-present: President
  - 2001-2007: Dean of Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study

Harvard University Notable Alumni

John Adams, President of the United States
John Quincy Adams, President of the United States
Leonard Bernstein, Composer
Jeff Bingaman, United States Senator
Michael Crichton, Novelist
Matt Damon, Actor
Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States
Edward Kennedy, United States Senator
John F. Kennedy, President of the United States
Robert F. Kennedy, United States Senator and Attorney General
Jack Lemmon, Actor
Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist
Conan O'Brien, Host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Tim O'Reilly, Founder of O'Reilly Media
Natalie Portman, Actress
John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Jay Rockefeller, United States Senator
Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States
Charles Schumer, United States Senator
David Souter, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
David Vitter, United States Senator
Mo Rocca, comedian

Studying at Harvard University

Harvard University Student Media

Newspaper: The Harvard Crimson
Radio: WHRB 95.3 FM
Television: Harvard-Radcliffe Television (HRTV)
Record Label: Veritas Records
Political Review: Harvard Political Review
International Review: Harvard International Review
Humor Magazines: The Harvard Lampoon and Satire V
Official Site: List of Media & Publication Student Organizations

Harvard University Student Life

Events Finder: Lonespot
Recommend a link!

Harvard University Hotels

Mahalo's Guide to Boston Hotels
The Unofficial Guide to Boston & Cambridge: Accommodations
Harvard College Admissions: Staying in Harvard Square

Harvard University Blogs and Forums

Harvard Blogs Aggregator
Google Blog Search: Harvard University
CollegeConfidential.com: Harvard University
Post.Harvard: Harvard Alumni Forum

Harvard University Timeline

1636: Harvard University founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts
1775-76: Temporarily relocated to Concord, Massachusetts while the Continental Army used the University's buildings
1870: Richard Theodore Greener becomes the first African-American to graduate from Harvard
1875: First Harvard-Yale rivalry football game
1894: Radcliffe College founded - First time women were taught by Harvard professors
1930: Beginning of the Residential House system
1943: First time Radcliffe women were allowed to take Harvard classes
1954: 1 of 8 charter members to establish the Ivy League
1999: Radcliffe College fully merges with Harvard University
2007: Drew Gilpin Faust elected as Harvard's first female President

Harvard University Sports

Official Site: Harvard University Athletics
Athletic League Website: The Ivy League
Harvard Crimson: Sports Blog
Crew Team: Harvard-Radcliffe Rowing
Fencing Team: Men's | Women's
Football Team: Harvard Football
Ice Hockey Team: Men's | Women's
Sports News: The Harvard Crimson

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