Yesterday's News

1914 Harvard spoils the dedication of the Yale Bowl by defeating the Elis, 36-0. The popular jest is that Yale supplied the bowl and Harvard...

1914 Harvard spoils the dedication of the Yale Bowl by defeating the Elis, 36-0. The popular jest is that Yale supplied the bowl and Harvard provided the punch.
 

1924 The Debating Union sponsors a discussion of the resolution "That Harvard is, and should continue to be, indifferent." The vote from the floor at the close of the meeting runs 30-3 in favor of the statement that Harvard is indifferent, 34-9 in favor of the idea that it should be.

 

1934 A Crimson poll of faculty and students reveals sentiments approaching two to one against New Deal policies.

 

1939 The American Independence League, dedicated to keeping the United States out of the European war, has one of its largest chapters at Harvard, where more than 700 students are members.

 

1949 Brand-new ashtrays on tables signal that smoking is now permitted in all but the west end of Widener's main reading room. Librarians explain that the departure of undergraduates to Lamont has made it possible to ventilate the area and thus permit readers to light up.

Illustration by Mark Steele

1954 Harvard announces plans for a new health center on Mount Auburn Street that will offer professional care 24 hours a day, 52 weeks a year.

 

1959 Harvard refuses more than $350,000 in student-loan money offered by the National Defense Education Act if needy students submit an oath and affidavit both of loyalty and non-Communist affiliation; President Pusey says the demand singles out college students as a group not worthy of the nation's trust.

 

1969 More than a thousand students enroll in the seven courses offered by the department of Afro-American studies.

 

1979 Coming off a dismal 2-6 season, Harvard faces an undefeated Yale team before 72,000 spectators at the Yale Bowl and pulls off a 22-7 rout.

 

1984 The Faculty of Arts and Sciences reports that the number of tenured women has almost doubled in the past three years, to 21 of 355 senior faculty members (5.9 percent).      

Most popular

Trump Administration Will Investigate Alleged Visa Fraud at Harvard

The announcement comes two days after a federal appeals court heard arguments about an international students ban.

China’s Excess Wind Energy

Rather than shutting down turbines, China can harness surplus wind energy to make “green” hydrogen fuel and industrial chemicals.

“AI Anxiety”

The Undergraduate on the uneasy collision of technology and writing

Explore More From Current Issue

Portrait of a man in a denim shirt beside a blue book cover for "Gretal and the Great War" featuring an illustration of a leg holding an army helmet..

The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.

Caricature of a young man in front of red doors, wearing a green striped sweater.

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

A busy classroom filled with students working at computers, colorful decor, and a bright atmosphere.

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.