Harvard’s Standoff: The History

From campus protests to policy clashes, a timeline of Harvard’s tensions with Washington

There has been nothing in Harvard’s history like the current confrontation between the University and the Trump administration. But Harvard students and faculty have often come into conflict with the federal government over its policies, in disputes that have bubbled over into campus protests. Here’s a sampling:


Click here to read comprehensive coverage of Harvard in the Crosshairs


 

Timeline: Harvard and the Government in Conflict

1930s
 

1930s–1940s: Anti-Fascism and U.S. Neutrality

In 1938, Harvard students protested Kristallnacht, the violent Nazi pogrom against Jewish residents that left the streets of Germany and Austria littered with shattered glass. As Germany conquered much of Europe, students variously condemned the University’s silence, the United States’ official position of neutrality, and American entry into World War II.

 
1950s
 

1950s: McCarthyism and Academic Freedom

Wendell Furry
Wendell Furry | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives

During the Red Scare, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy targeted Harvard faculty for alleged communist sympathies, calling the University a “smelly mess.” Students and administrators alike pushed back, defending Harvard physicist Wendell Furry’s refusal to testify before Congress about alleged communist infiltration in education.

 
1960s
 

1960s: Civil Rights and Federal Inaction

In the 1960s, Harvard students joined the civil rights movement, participating in Freedom Rides and voter drives in the South. On campus, rallies and teach-ins called out the federal government’s failure to end segregation. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 speech in Harvard Yard cautioned against hatred by invoking Mahatma Gandhi.

 
1960s
 

1969: Vietnam and Anti-War Sentiment

Black-and-white photo of a line of uniformed police in riot gear standing outside Harvard’s Widener Library during a protest.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

In 1969, students occupied University Hall to protest Harvard’s ties to the Vietnam War and the displacement of working-class residents. The protests, led by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), demanded the abolition of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and divestment from military contractors. The occupation sparked an eight-day University-wide strike and two large rallies in Harvard Stadium.

 
1970s
 

1970: Kent State and Jackson State Shootings Response

Harvard students joined a nationwide strike condemning the events at Kent State University, where student anti-war protesters were shot by Ohio National Guard troops, and Jackson State University, where police opened fire on a gathering outside a student dorm.

 
1980s
 

1980s: Anti-Apartheid and Divestment

Harvard students protesting in Harvard Yard
PHOTOGRAPH BY Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/ Alamy Stock Photo

Harvard students protested apartheid in South Africa by constructing a shantytown in Harvard Yard. Protesters demanded an end to U.S. support for the South African regime and called for divestment of endowment funds from South Africa-linked firms.

 
2000s
 

2000s: Stem Cell Research and Federal Restrictions

When President George W. Bush limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, Harvard students, scientists, and administrators pushed back, launching private initiatives and staging protests to defend science against what they perceived as restrictive federal policy.

 
2000s
 

2000s: Patriot Act and Civil Liberties

In the wake of the USA Patriot Act, a sweeping security law passed after 9/11, Harvard students and faculty protested government surveillance, the profiling of Muslim and international students, and the erosion of academic freedom.

 
2010s
 

2010s–2020s: Climate Policy and Divestment

Massachusetts Hall, with a sign "Whose side are you on? #divestharvard"
 PHOTOGRAPH BY harvard magazine

Climate protests at Harvard throughout the 2010s and the 2020s have largely targeted both University endowment investments and federal deregulation of climate change policies under Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump. Student activists have pushed for fossil fuel divestment in a movement that has spanned disciplines, campus groups, and departments.

 

 


Click here for the July-August 2025 issue table of contents

Read more articles by Olivia Farrar

You might also like

In Federal Court, Harvard and the Government Have Friends

A look at the amicus curiae briefs in Harvard’s funding case

Trump Administration Alleges Harvard Violated Student Civil Rights

In a court filing, the University says government has ignored procedure to “inflict pain.”

Harvard Plans Contingencies for International Students

The Kennedy School and School of Public Health are developing online options.

Most popular

House Committee Subpoenas Harvard Over Tuition Costs

The University must turn over all requested materials related to tuition and financial aid by mid-July. 

Global Reach

A new center in Shanghai reflects Harvard’s growing engagement with the People’s Republic.

The New Gender Gaps

What to do as men and boys fall behind

Explore More From Current Issue

Your Guide to Summer 2025 Along Boston Harbor

Enjoying the Boston Harbor’s Renaissance This Summer

How AI Could Be Raising Your Energy Bill

Utilities shift AI infrastructure costs onto consumers.

Will the U.S. Dollar Always Be So Powerful?

The preeminence of U.S. currency at risk