“I do not know how it is with you, but I know that I am unable to keep up in mind or memory with the expansion of Harvard University.”
—Charles William Elliot, addressing alumnI in 1902
Founded on November 7th, 1898, Harvard Magazine holds the distinction of being one of the oldest alumni magazines in the United States. Originally launched as The Harvard Bulletin, it began as a four-page weekly publication priced at $0.08 a copy (or $2 per year, which comes to roughly $78 in 2025).
Its founders—James Storrow (A.B. 1885), Augustus Peabody Gardner (1886), Fred Moore (1893), Jerome Greene (1896), and Clarence Mann (1899)—believed that the existing alumni communications, then largely limited to quarterly publications, were too infrequent to meet the growing appetite for timely, comprehensive University news.
In his 1998 book Harvard Observed, former Harvard Magazine editor John Bethell wrote: “The story of twentieth-century Harvard begins when the bulletin did, in 1898.” The Bulletin’s founding purpose was clear. It would keep Harvard alumni informed and engaged with regular updates about the University, its faculty, students, and fellow graduates. This initiative marked the beginning of a unique editorial enterprise, in which the young magazine would balance its obligations towards University coverage with editorial independence—one of its defining characteristics.
Though affiliated with the University, Harvard Magazine operates as a separately incorporated nonprofit organization with a responsibility to its readers, rather than to Harvard’s fundraising or public relations offices. This independence has allowed the magazine to critically examine University policies, highlight faculty research, and explore both the achievements of the Harvard community and the challenges the university faces. Harvard Magazine has the freedom to cover all things “Harvard” with critical distance and impartiality, and to publish letters and commentary that reflects the breadth of perspectives within the alumni community.
As a ninetieth anniversary column declared:
What continues to set the magazine apart, not only from other Harvard media but from almost every other university publication, is its degree of independence. Harvard Magazine, like its ancestral Bulletin, is a nonprofit enterprise incorporated under Massachusetts law and directed by its own governing boards.
... [T]he Alumni Association, the central administration, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences are represented on our board of directors. But corporately and editorially we remain autonomous, answerable first and last to our readers. In that respect Harvard Magazine is sui generis, and proud of it.
In 1910, the publication was renamed The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, reflecting an ambition to serve a broader readership of graduates. Over the next several decades, the magazine transitioned from its original newsletter-like format to a more expansive publication that included feature articles, analysis of campus culture and movements, reporting on research and breakthroughs, and coverage of University-wide issues and initiatives. Its design evolved from black-and-white pages with minimal graphics to visually-arresting layouts on par with other works of high-quality commercial print media.
In 1973, the magazine adopted its current title, Harvard Magazine. In 1977, the magazine shifted to a bimonthly publication schedule. Though fewer issues were printed annually, each edition became more substantial in both page count and content.
The twenty-first century brought significant transformations to the magazine’s connections with its readers. As Bethell narrates in Harvard Observed, the internet changed the face of Harvard—as well as education and the spread of knowledge more broadly. Harvard Magazine’s home page drew visitors from more than 100 countries in its first year online in 1996.
In December 2008, Harvard Magazine launched a major overhaul of its website, introducing full online access to issues, free of charge. The magazine also expanded its multimedia offerings and developed a presence across all major social media platforms. This shift, in line with broader trends across the publishing industry, has increased the magazine’s reach beyond print subscribers to reflect changing media consumption habits among alumni and readers worldwide.
Today, Harvard Magazine stands as a link between the University and its alumni. Its content spans an exceptionally diverse spectrum; and above all, the magazine continues to honor its founding mission to serve as an independent, informative, and beloved publication for the Harvard community.
