Headlines from Harvard’s history

Cooking for the culinarily challenged…and other headlines from Harvard’s history

Illustration by Mark Steele

1919

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences, “a pioneer without being precipitate,” votes to establish general examinations for the A.B. in all departments, consonant with President Lowell’s view that no mere aggregation of credits merits a degree unless the student can also prove that he knows “some one thing well.”

1929

The Student Council reports “a real and urgent need of advice” for undergraduates choosing vocations and urges establishment of an office to provide it.

1934

The Federal Emergency Relief Administration announces a special fund to help needy students finish the academic year, but Harvard College says it has money enough for its own students and will not apply for an allotment.

1959

Harvard and MIT establish a Joint Center for Urban Studies to search out the basic facts in the tangled problems of big-city growth.

1964

From President Pusey to undergraduates, Harvardians rally against a Metropolitan District Commission plan to build a 400-foot underpass at the junction of Memorial Drive and Boylston [now Kennedy] Street, near the Larz Anderson Bridge.

1999

On the same day a large student rally against sweatshop labor in clothing manufacturing occurs in the Yard, Harvard endorses a policy of “full disclosure” obligating manufacturers of licensed apparel to reveal the location of their factories.

Harvard Dining Services’ executive chef, Michael Miller, has developed a five-session, $25 course, “Cooking for the Culinarily Challenged,” to help students survive once they leave the Yard.

2004

The University launches the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, engaging seven of its schools and six affiliated hospitals in both research and clinical efforts focused on using stem cells to correct organ failure.

On April 1, for the first time in Harvard history, more women (1,016) than men (1,013) are offered admission to the College.

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.

Yesterday’s News

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

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

The quirky 1833 home now hosts Celtic scholars.

Most popular

Ken Burns on America’s Unfinished Revolution

At Radcliffe, the filmmaker joined Harvard historians to discuss what the nation’s founding means today.

Paul Ryan Warns Congress Is Losing Power—and Blames Both Parties

At Harvard Kennedy School, the former House speaker reflected on executive overreach, DEI, and “wokeism.”

Department of Education Investigates Harvard Admissions and Antisemitism Claims

The University calls federal actions “retaliatory.” 

Explore More From Current Issue

A lively street scene at night with people in colorful costumes dancing joyfully.

Rabbi, Drag Queen, Film Star

Sabbath Queen, a new documentary, follows one man’s quest to make Judaism more expansive.

Illustration of a person sitting on a large cresting wave, writing, with a sunset and ocean waves in vibrant colors.

How Stories Help Us Cope with Climate Change

The growing genre of climate fiction offers a way to process reality—and our anxieties.