Yesterday’s News

1911 Holworthy Hall, refurbished after 99 years, boasts hot-water heating and “shower baths” for the first time. 1916 More than...

Illustration by Mark Steele

 

1911 Holworthy Hall, refurbished after 99 years, boasts hot-water heating and “shower baths” for the first time.

1916 More than 1,500 undergraduates and graduates have spent the summerin military training camps as part of anational “preparedness movement.”

1926 The Memorial Hall dining room closes because of students’ preference for “the nasty, unhygienic, and unsociable fashion of ‘eating around’ at cafeterias and lunch counters.”

1931 Adams, Eliot, Kirkland, Leverett, and Winthrop Houses open their doors as the House plan goes into full operation. For the first time, all the dorms in Harvard Yard will be occupied by freshman.

1936 Harvard adopts a new parietal rule: “Students living in the Houses will be given permission to entertain ladies in their rooms without a chaperon only if there are two or more ladies present.”

1941 President Conant is spending two days a week in Washington chairing the National Defense Research Commission. The Crimson, meanwhile, endorses “all-out war” to crush fascism.

1946 A record 11,700 students areenrolled in the University, 75 percent of whom are veterans.

1956 A fire severely damages the tower and roof of Memorial Hall during renovations.

1966 Radcliffe freshmen register alongside their Harvard counterparts for the first time.

Creation of the Institute of Politics is officially announced at a dinner on October 17 attended by eight members of the Kennedy family. (See "A Living Political Monument.")

1971 Derek Bok is installed as the twenty-fifth president of Harvard.

1976 The Harvard-Radcliffe class of 1980 is admitted under a gender-blind admissions process, resulting in thelowest male:female ratio to date—1.9:1.

Most popular

Harvard’s Epstein Probe Widened

The University investigates ties to donors, following revelations in newly released files.

Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Honors Rose Byrne

The Bridesmaids actress celebrated her 2026 Woman of the Year Award with a roast and a parade.

Martin Nowak Sanctioned for Jeffrey Epstein Involvement

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences announces disciplinary actions.

Explore More From Current Issue

A stylized illustration of red coral branching from a gray base, resembling a fantastical entity.

This TikTok Artist Combines Monsters and Mental Heath

Ava Jinying Salzman’s artwork helps people process difficult feelings.

Four young people sitting around a table playing a card game, with a chalkboard in the background.

On Weekends, These Harvard Math Professors Teach the Smaller Set

At Cambridge Math Circle, faculty and alumni share puzzles, riddles, and joy.

A girl sits at a desk, flanked by colorful, stylized figures, evoking a whimsical, surreal atmosphere.

The Trouble with Sidechat

No one feels responsible for what happens on Harvard’s anonymous social media app.