Headlines from Harvard’s history

Headlines from Harvard’s history

Illustration showing how Harvard Business School settled on its new name in 1961

Illustration by Mark Steele

1921

Barracks and stables are under construction on Soldiers Field to house 20 enlisted men and 85 horses for the department of military science.

1946

As of October 1, a total of 12,183 students have registered for fall term—a third larger than the previous peak—with final business and law school figures yet to come. Housing, especially for the 3,300 married veterans, is a major problem. Among the 5,419 undergraduates, there are 3,858 veterans.

1951

The weekly board fee for undergraduates reaches $14, prompting talks of limiting servings in the dining halls.

1956

Martha May Eliot’s appointment as professor and head of the department of maternal and child health in the Faculty of Public Health makes her Harvard’s third female full professor.

1961

Among alterations proposed for the Harvard School of Business Administration after a two-year study initiated by its dean is a change of name. The Bulletin reports “a widespread feeling” that the present name “does not imply an institution of professional stature, and that there should be…a Harvard Business School.”

1966

Creation of the Institute of Politics—at the renamed John F. Kennedy School of Government—is officially announced at a dinner on October 17, held in the newly completed Holyoke Center and attended by eight members of the Kennedy family.

1971

The Harvard class of ’75 includes the sons of the presidents of Columbia and Yale.

2006

The new Harvard College Women’s Center opens in Canaday Hall, culminating “the efforts of our students for 35 years,” notes dean of the College Benedict Gross. People “had to be pushy as well as smart to make this happen,” adds 300th Anniversary University Professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

 

You might also like

They Might Be (Harvard) Giants

Two tales of University greats—and an encounter with a Tiger

A Harvard President’s VW Beetle That Kept On Giving

Derek Bok donated his car for a good cause.

The Year a Beat Poet Squatted at Harvard

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

Most popular

Harvard Stabilizes Finances With Strong Endowment Returns, Philanthropy

Small operating surplus is dwarfed by reduced federal research support and endowment tax liabilities.

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

As humanities shrink across higher education, one department is flourishing. Is its success a fluke, or a roadmap?

Treat AI Like a New Species, Harvard Scientist Says

Joshua Joseph discusses how society can manage and coexist alongside self-governing AI agents.

Explore More From Current Issue

A man with a long beard and formal attire stands next to a chalkboard with an equation.

Two tales of University greats—and an encounter with a Tiger

Illustration of a phone, book, hourglass, weights, and a hand reaching for a device on a blue background.

Your thoughts on how to regulate the platforms—and stop using them so much

Panoramic view of Harvard University with autumn foliage and a river under a cloudy sky.

The University is expanding industry ties and investing its own funds to support research, but neither will replace lost federal dollars.