Headlines from Harvard history

A morgue for movies, and more from the Harvard Alumni Bulletin and Harvard Magazine

Illustration by Mark Steele

1917

The editors advise Harvard men who want to serve their country in case of war to contact Professor R. M. Johnston, who is “acting in correspondence with the Intercollegiate Intelligence Bureau.” College-educated men are particularly sought after, because “Intelligent, unhysterical effort in the handling of American resources, human and physical, in the months to come, may effect far-reaching results.” 

1927

The College Entrance Examination Board announces a new, standardized admissions exam called the Scholastic Aptitude Test. 

The Department of Fine Arts, backed by the Fogg Museum and the University Library, announces plans to establish a library of those “motion picture films” voted worthy, by a faculty committee, of preservation as works of art. 

1957

The “Harvard ‘Veritas’ Committee” circulates a letter urging fellow alumni to complain to the Board of Overseers about the appointment of J. Robert Oppenheimer ’26 as the biennial William James Lecturer. 

1962

The Radcliffe Government Association’s rules committee recommends that any student past her freshman year be allowed to sign out of her dorm in the evening until any hour without advance permission. But, reports the Undergraduate columnist, a “determined number of ’Cliffies” insist that committee members mistakenly consider the average Radcliffe girl a stable and responsible adult capable of making reasoned decisions about “social problems.” Says one opponent, “People our age are notorious for being foolish.”

1972

The Committee on Housing and Undergraduate Life votes to condemn the term-paper industry after 40 to 60 student papers are stolen during intersession. Attorneys from Harvard and other Boston-area universities meet to consider possible court action to close the firms down.

Related topics

You might also like

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

Research continues to track down living descendants.

250 Years Ago, Harvard Was Home to a Revolution

A look at the sights, sounds, and characters that put the University on the frontlines of history

The Harvard-Trained Doctor Who Urged a Revolution

Before his heroic death, General Joseph Warren was dubbed “the greatest incendiary in all of America.”

Most popular

The Franklin Stove—A Historical Climate Change Adaptation

Historian Joyce E. Chaplin reinterprets an early era of invention, industrialization, and climate challenge

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.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Explore More From Current Issue

Illustration of two students in Harvard hoodies, one speaking animatedly to a phone, the other reading, looking annoyed.

We’re All Harvard Influencers, Like It or Not

In the digital age, it’s hard to avoid playing into the mythology.

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.

A woman in glasses gestures while speaking to two attentive listeners at a table.

How to Cook with Wild Plants

From wild greens spanakopita to rose petal panna cotta, forager and chef Ellen Zachos makes one-of-a-kind meals.