The History of Harvard University

Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1636, and one of the eight Ivy League schools. It has for centuries been highly regarded for its academic standards, research excellence, and social prestige. The main university campus lies along the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a few miles west of Boston. Read on to learn more about this important institution, its contribution to American and global history, its future direction, and potentially becoming a Harvard student yourself.

The Founding of Harvard University

Harvard’s history began when a college was established at New Towne. This was later renamed Cambridge after the English university, which was the alma mater of some of the colonists at the time. Harvard was named after a Puritan minister, John Harvard, who bequeathed the college his books and half of his estate.

At its founding, Harvard was sponsored by the church, although it was not formally affiliated with any religious body. During its first two centuries, Harvard was gradually liberated, first from clerical control and later from political control, until in 1865 the university alumni started electing members of the governing board. Charles W. Eliot, Harvard’s president from 1869 to 1909, developed Harvard into an institution with national influence.

Key Figures in the Establishment

As noted above, in 1639, the college was renamed Harvard College after clergyman John Harvard. Harvard was an alumnus of the University of Cambridge who had left the new school 779 pounds sterling and his library of 400 books in his will.

Another key figure in the early years of Harvard’s history is the college’s first president Henry Dunster. The colony charter which created the Harvard Corporation was granted in 1650 at the beginning of the English Interregnum, and Dunster came into conflict with the colony’s magistrates when he failed to have his son baptised, believing that only adults should be baptised. Efforts to return Dunster to Puritanism failed and colony leaders ultimately rejected him as they had entrusted him with the role of Harvard president to uphold the colony’s religious mission, so his apostasy represented a threat to social stability.

In 1692, the leading Puritan Increase Mather became president of Harvard and he replaced pagan classics with books by Christian authors, and emphasised ethics and maintaining a high level of discipline, such as the “Harvard College Laws of 1700”. 

Early Vision and Mission

The early motto of Harvard was Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae, “Truth for Christ and the Church”. In the early classes, half the graduates became ministers, though by the 1760s the proportion was reduced to 15%, and ten of Harvard’s first twelve presidents were ministers. Systematic theological education was inaugurated in 1721 and by 1827 Harvard had become a centre of theological teaching in New England.

Harvard University in the Colonial and Revolutionary Eras

At 140 years old at the time of the American Revolution, Harvard—and members of the Harvard community—played an important role in the country’s early history. During the American Revolution, students were dismissed early and the Harvard campus was turned over to the Continental Army. During the American Revolution, Loyalist alumni were outnumbered seven to one by Patriots and seven alumni died in the fighting.

Academic and Political Influences

Throughout the 18th century, the ideas of the Enlightenment such as the power of reason and free will became widespread and created tension with the more traditionalist sections. At Harvard, the election of Henry Ware to the chair in 1805 and the liberal Samuel Webber to the presidency in 1807 signalled the reduced dominance of traditional ideas at Harvard and the ascendance of liberal ones.

Between 1830 and 1870, Harvard became “privatized”. While the federalists controlled state government, Harvard had thrived and the 1824 defeat of the Federalist Party in Massachusetts allowed the Democratic-Republicans to block state funding of private universities and by 1870 university’s board of overseers, which had been made up of politicians and ministers, had been replaced by Harvard alumni drawn from Boston’s upper-class professional and business community and funded privately.

Curriculum Reform and Expansion

The formal naming of Harvard as a university in 1780, the founding of Harvard Medical School in 1782 and the establishment, early in the nineteenth century, of Harvard Law School (1817) and Harvard Divinity School (1819) broadened the overall curriculum, advanced Harvard from a provincial seat of learning and secured its reputation as a national university.

Later, Charles W. Eliot, who served as president from 1869 to 1909, removed the favoured position of Christianity from the curriculum while allowing student self-direction. Eliot was a critical figure in the secularization of American higher education, though he was not personally motivated by a desire to secularize education, but by his Unitarian convictions, which focused on the dignity of human beings, the right and ability of each person to perceive truth, and the divine nature in each person.

Harvard’s Role in the American Civil War

Harvard in many ways represented a microcosm of the divisions in the Civil war. Harvard faculty, undergraduates, and graduates served in many regiments, and in every branch of the service. There were 246 dead among the 1,662 with Harvard ties who fought on both sides. In the Union ranks, 176 died. On the Confederate side, where 304 men with Harvard connections enlisted, 70 died.

Harvard University in the 20th Century

During the 20th century, Harvard’s international reputation for scholarship grew as it developed its endowment and recruited prominent professors in numerous disciplines. The student population continued to grow with the addition of new graduate schools and the expansion of the undergraduate program. It built the largest academic library in the world and developed the labs and clinics necessary to establish the reputation of its science departments and the Medical School. The Law School rivalled Yale Law for prestige, and the Business School established a research program designed to appeal to entrepreneurs.

Pioneering Research and Technological Advancements

In addition to typical university departments, specialist research centres proliferated, in particular in order to facilitate interdisciplinary research initiatives. These Centres raised their own money, from a combination of endowments and grants from the federal government and foundations. This empowered them with increasing independence in research and Harvard has been the site of many advancements across medicine, engineering, business, and science.

Harvard University during World War 1&2

Alumni, students, and faculty played important roles in World War One, treating the injured, funding the war effort, developing the first unit of the Army’s ROTC, and also in combat. More than 11,000 Harvard men served in the Great War and nearly 400 were killed.

During World War II, Harvard played an expansive role, from pioneering research to recruiting soldiers, and ultimately helped the Allies to triumph. During World War II, almost 27,000 Harvard students, alumni, faculty members, and staff members served in the armed forces, and 697 died.

Harvard University’s Influence in the 21st Century

Harvard has continued throughout the 21st Century to be at the forefront of research and innovation, debates in higher education, and sometimes controversy. Harvard welcomed its first female president with Drew Gilpin Faust, who was dean of Harvard Radcliffe Institute in 2007 and has seen other social changes such as in February 2023, when around 6,000 Harvard workers attempted to organize a union. 

Harvard has worked to integrate technology into its teaching, offering many aspects of its admissions and teaching online. Harvard also continues to produce Nobel laureates such as in 2023, Professor Claudia Goldin was awarded the Nobel Prize for her work tracking American women’s labour participation over centuries and the evolution of the wage gap.

Current Challenges

As arguably the most high-profile educational institution in the United States, Harvard remains prominent in any debate or controversy. Recent areas of discussion have been the appropriate role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in faculty hiring and the rising cost of tuition. The university has also faced controversy as following the Hamas-led attack on Israel, several Harvard undergraduate student groups signed a letter condemning the Israeli state, and holding the “Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence”. A number of donors said they would no longer donate to Harvard, due to its response to antisemitism, and after a Congressional hearing on antisemitism in December 2023, Harvard’s president Claudine Gay also faced condemnation from the White House. She resigned in January 2024 after a plagiarism investigation, and Provost Alan Garber became interim President.

Looking to Study at Harvard University?

At Dukes, we provide support for applications to various universities across the world, including Harvard. Our programs offer personalised guidance, and strategic advice to strengthen your Harvard application. 

We can support you to identify and showcase Harvard University’s values, and effectively communicate your accomplishments and potential contributions to the admissions committee. 

For more information on how Dukes can assist with your Harvard application, please visit our private US admissions consulting page. Alternatively, you can contact us here, and we can help you submit a winning application.

Sources

https://www.harvard.edu/about/history