Harvard History & Traditions

Stories that explore the institution’s rich history, from archival moments to evolving traditions.

Tips of the Hat(s)

On regalia, a Jack-of-all-trades retirement, and a Bok’s office bon mot.

by Primus VI

Fernando Zóbel-Montojo

Brief life of an abstract painter: 1924-1984

by Felipe Pereda

Bookish

Course catalog redux, a Chinese take on Harvard “glitz and glamour,” and the mathmetician-movie buff

by Primus VI

Portraying Larry Summers

Celebrating the twenty-seventh president—and assessing his legacy

by John S. Rosenberg

George Reisner

Brief life of a pioneering Egyptologist: 1867-1942

by Peter Der Manuelian

Ahead of His Time

The inclusive Henry Lee Higginson, and Robert Caro’s productive fellowship

by Primus VI

Charles III, When Young

The Prince of Wales’s star turn at Harvard’s 350th anniversary gala, in 1986

From the Soil Up

The art of conserving an historic garden at Dumbarton Oaks

by May Wang