Harvard History Roundup

Headlines from Harvard’s history

Illustration of Harvard fencer competing in Paris Olympics 1924

Illustration by Mark Steele

1919 

Indignant alumni write the Bulletin protesting the unsportsmanlike conduct of Harvard spectators at the annual Harvard-Yale baseball game, including an “organized attempt to rattle the Yale pitcher by means of howling voices and beating drums.” Yale won, 10-8.

1924

Burke Boyce ’22, an instructor in English and former captain of the fencing team, is a member of the U.S. squad at the Paris Olympics, but does not medal.

1944 

President James Bryant Conant offers Harvard’s Dumbarton Oaks estate in Washington, D.C., for a conference of delegates from Britain, Russia, and the United States to plan for the preservation of peace in the postwar world.

1969 

Sixteen students have been required to leave Harvard because of their actions during the occupation of University Hall on April 9-10. Twenty others have been given a suspended requirement to withdraw, while 102 more have been placed under warning.

1974 

Newsweek reports that B is the average grade in American colleges. Harvard reports that the average grade for the College as a whole is B+.

1979 

Despite a June ruling by the Supreme Court that colleges can require “reasonable physical qualifications” of their applicants, Harvard will abide by its plan to make all buildings accessible to disabled persons by 1980 by installing ramps and elevators.

2004 

Following the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, professor of comparative religion and Indian studies Diana Eck and University chaplain Dorothy Austin, the heads of Lowell House, take their vows in Memorial Church on July 4.

2009 

As the result of “an unfortunate set of circumstances” (as described in an official statement), Fletcher University Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. is arrested by a Cambridge police officer; ensuing controversies eventually lead to a “beer summit” at the White House.

Related topics

You might also like

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

Research continues to track down living descendants.

When the Revolution Hit Cambridge, Harvard Moved to Concord

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

The Costly Choice Native Americans Faced

How the Revolution reshaped indigenous New England

Most popular

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Harvard Confers Five Honorary Degrees at the 2026 Commencement

O’Brien joins journalists, a scholar of AI, and a Broadway star.

Commencement Day with Conan O’Brien

The comedian headlined a star-studded cast for Harvard’s 375th Commencement exercises.

Explore More From Current Issue

Four stylized magnifying glasses arranged in a gradient background with abstract patterns.

AI Hunts For Stolen Harvard Coins

A museum curator and a computer scientist track down ancient coins taken in a legendary heist.

Three joyful graduates in caps and gowns celebrate together outdoors.

Your Harvard 2026 Commencement Week Guide

College reunions and Alumni Day will take place the following week

White House and Harvard University buildings split diagonally with contrasting colors.

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

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