Yesterday's News

Happenings at Harvard in Januarys and Februarys past

1929

The Student Council criticizes the administration’s plan to erect one of the newly endowed Houses east of DeWolfe Street, arguing that the future Dunster House will be too far from such “immovable centers” as Widener, Mallinckrodt Laboratory, and the University Museum. 

1934

The editors publish a list of nearly 200 books Widener Library cannot afford to buy because of the Depression, prompting gifts of books and money from Bulletin readers. 

1939

A group of undergraduates begins raising money for 15 scholarships to bring South American students to Harvard; U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull calls it a great idea. 

1949

Lamont Library opens, prompting a special 18-page issue of the Crimson that raves about its comfort, brightness, and efficiency.

1954

The Faculty’s Educational Policy Committee approves a program of early admission and advanced placement for able and mature students. 

1959

Assistant U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Elliot Richardson ’41, LL.B. ’44, proposes that the federal government help out the parents of college students by means of tax exemptions, tax deductions, or tax credits. 

1969

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences votes to withdraw academic credit for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps activities at Harvard—home of the oldest ROTC program in the country. 

The Harvard-Radcliffe Policy Committee proposes that a co-residential trial exchange of students in the undergraduate Houses begin at once. A committee survey has indicated that 80 percent of Radcliffe students and 65.5 percent of Harvard students support the plan. 

1989

Judith Richards Hope, J.D. ’64, becomes the first woman appointed to serve on the Harvard Corporation. 

Related topics

You might also like

Harvard Releases Database of 1,613 People Enslaved by University Affiliates

Research continues to track down living descendants.

250 Years Ago, Harvard Was Home to a Revolution

A look at the sights, sounds, and characters that put the University on the frontlines of history

How the American Revolution Freed a Future Abolitionist

Darby Vassall, an enslaved child freed after the Battle of Bunker Hill, dedicated his life to fighting for liberty.

Most popular

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Harvard Faculty Approve a Cap on A Grades

Reforms to reduce grade inflation will take effect in the fall of 2027.

Your Harvard 2026 Commencement Week Guide

College reunions and Alumni Day will take place the following week

Explore More From Current Issue

A glowing orange sun with a star and a trailing gas cloud in space.

A Harvard Astrophysicist Explains the Bizarre Behavior of a Supergiant Star

The dimming and rapid rotation of Betelgeuse may be caused by a hidden companion.

A dancer in a black leotard poses gracefully in a bright studio, with mirrors reflecting her movement.

A New Black Swan Musical Cranks Up the Tension

The creative team of the A.R.T.’s new show dish on adapting Darren Aronofsky’s thriller classic from screen to stage.

Woman in historical dress standing in front of green foliage, smiling brightly.

This Harvard Graduate Brings Women of the Revolution to Life

Historical reenactor Lauren Shear reveals tricks of the trade for playing Tory loyalists, Revolutionary poets, and more.