Headlines from Harvard history, January-February 1918-1973

From the pages of the Harvard Alumni Bulletin and Harvard Magazine

1918

To save coal for the war effort, the University closes various buildings on selected days and cuts off heat to student dormitories after 9 p.m.

1928

Harvard Medical School researchers George R. Minot and William P. Murphy prove that eating half a pound of mammal liver or kidney daily will improve and maintain the health of a patient with pernicious anemia. Though the kidney and liver may be either raw or cooked, Minot and Murphy observe that most patients prefer to ingest the substance as raw pulp or mash.

1933

The Board of Overseers approves the creation of President Lowell’s long-cherished project, the Society of Fellows.

1938

The Nieman Fellowships are created when the President and Fellows, in accordance with the provisions of a $1-million bequest from Mrs. Agnes Wahl Nieman, approve a plan “to promote and elevate the standard of journalism in the United States.”

1953

Professor Kirtley Mather, on retiring as president of the American Association for the Promotion of Science, warns that the stultifying atmosphere imposed upon scientists by political trends is hurting the field and stifling intellectual freedom.

1968

President Nathan M. Pusey speculates that undergraduate tuition will be $4,000 by 1988. (It hit $12,015.)

1973

Assistant professor Ivan Tcherepnin proposes a new course, Music 159: “Composition with the Electronic Medium.” Though he anticipates resistance from his department—which is inherently distrustful of the new technology—his course is approved for the following year. The concern is raised, however, that offering credit for “tinkering with electronics” could set the stage for credit courses in such topics as basket-weaving and woodworking.

Related topics

You might also like

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

When the Revolution Hit Cambridge, Harvard Moved to Concord

College students broke hearts and windows during their year in exile.

The Woman Who Penned the Case for War

Mercy Otis Warren’s poetry and plays incited the Patriot movement.

Most popular

Martin Nowak Placed on Leave a Second Time

Further links to Jeffrey Epstein surface in newly released files.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

The Artemis II Mission Included a Harvard Space Medicine Experiment

Wyss Institute researchers are observing how human bone marrow responds to radiation and microgravity.

Explore More From Current Issue

A woman with long hair leans on a table, looking out a large window with rain-streaked glass.

Harvard Economist Probes the Affordable Housing Crisis

From understanding gender pay gaps to the housing crisis, Rebecca Diamond’s research aims to improve lives.

A man holding a revolver and lantern, wearing a hat and coat, appears to be walking cautiously.

Scoundrels, Then and Now

On con men, Mark Twain, and the powers of the Harvard name