Harvard History & Traditions
Stories that explore the institution’s rich history, from archival moments to evolving traditions.
Free Speech, the Bomb—and Donald Trump
A Harvard cardiologist on the unlikely alliances that shaped a global movement to prevent nuclear war
Brief life of mathematician Nathaniel Bowditch
Brief life of a mathematician and businessman: 1773-1839
Blair Kamin organizes a colorful new guide to the "Gates of Harvard Yard"
A nitty-gritty guide by a Nieman Fellow and his team.
Headlines from Harvard history
From the pages of the Harvard Alumni Bulletin and Harvard Magazine
A Harvard presidential portrait rediscovered, and an art gallery of a cemetery
A president who tippled, and an eternally faithful dog
Harvard acknowledges slave connections
A plaque begins an official acknowledgment of the University’s past.
Harvard Asian-American leadership
A coincidence of leadership at Harvard, at a contested moment
Peter J. Gomes portrait installed at Harvard
Harvard installs a portrait of the late Reverend Peter J. Gomes.
Headlines from Harvard history
From the pages of the Harvard Alumni Bulletin and Harvard Magazine
J.Q. Adams on patronage and rhetoric, and Daniel Merton Wegner on cats
J.Q. Adams on patronage and rhetoric, Daniel Merton Wegner on cats
Harvard's eugenics era
When academics embraced scientific racism, immigration restrictions, and the suppression of “the unfit”