Headlines from Harvard history, July-August 1930-1970

From the pages of the Harvard Alumni Bulletin and Harvard Magazine

 1930

The Peabody Museum has sponsored two summer expeditions: the first will make a thorough archaeological survey of a large portion of Utah; the second will continue archaeological explorations in Czechoslovakia and the Balkans.

 

 1930

Dunster and Lowell, the first two Houses to be built with funds provided by Edward Harkness, are under construction, as are new biology and physics labs, a faculty club, and Dillon Field House.

 

 1935 

Two Alumni Association representatives travel to the Wedgwood Potteries in England to oversee the final stage in the production of commemorative Harvard Tercentenary chinaware.

 

 1935 

Massachusetts governor James Michael Curley, addressing the Alumni Association on Commencement Day afternoon, stresses the obligation of universities to solve pressing economic problems; their failure to answer the question of work and wages, he declares, “constitute[s] an indictment of our edu­ca­tion­­al system.” 

 

 1945

World War II ends on August 14 with more than 2,800 undergraduates on leave of absence for war service and only 400 attending a special summer session in Cambridge. 


 1950 

The “nation’s oldest summer school” proudly reports a first: students in attendance from all 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as representatives of 46 foreign countries, from Austria to Venezuela.

 

 1960 

Three cooperative houses, “the first units of contemporary design to be built at Radcliffe,” are under construction, thanks in large part to a gift from Susan Morse Hilles.

 

 1970

The University switches to a Centrex telephone system, installed during a two-year period at a cost of $10.5 million, that allows incoming and outgoing calls to be dialed direct.

 *     *     *   

Five hardy and hearty members of the College class of 1900—the “Naughty-naughts”—celebrate the first seventieth reunion.

Related topics

You might also like

One of Harvard’s Oldest Structures Is Hiding Behind a Beer Garden

A crumbling wall in Harvard Square holds centuries of the city’s story, if you know how to read it.

At Harvard’s Beck-Warren House, Ghosts Speak Many Languages

The quirky 1833 home now hosts Celtic scholars.

Yesterday’s News

How a book on fighting the “Devill World” survived Harvard’s historic fire.

Most popular

Antony Blinken Says U.S. Goal in Gaza Was to Protect People

At Harvard’s Institute of Politics, the former secretary of state reflects on his tenure, Iran, and the future. 

Harvard Board of Overseers Candidates Describe Priorities

Alumni will vote for the University governing board in April and May.

Can We Disagree Better? A Harvard Professor Has Tips.

Kennedy School professor of public policy Julia Minson on how to improve political conversations

Explore More From Current Issue

Three climbers seated on a snowy summit, surrounded by clouds, appearing contemplative.

These Harvard Mountaineers Braved Denali’s Wall of Ice

John Graham’s Denali Diary documents a dangerous and historic climb.

Purple violet flower with vibrant petals surrounded by green foliage.

Bees and Flowers Are Falling Out of Sync

Scientists are revisiting an old way of thinking about extinction.

Older man in a green sweater holds a postcard in a warmly decorated office.

How a Harvard Hockey Legend Became a Needlepoint Artist

Joe Bertagna’s retirement project recreates figures from Boston sports history.