Harvard History & Traditions

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

Wadsworth House with green shutters and red brick chimneys, surrounded by trees and other buildings.

Wadsworth House Nears 300

The building is a microcosm of Harvard’s history—and the history of the United States.

by Primus VI

President Alan M. Garber sitting in historic Holyoke Chair during his installation

President Garber installed as president of Harvard

A private ceremony celebrated Garber’s appointment as president.

by Jonathan Shaw

Harvard President Alan Garber at a podium in Memorial Church

Harvard President Alan Garber Speaks at Morning Prayers

President Garber’s Morning Prayers

by John S. Rosenberg

Matthews students pose for picture before Convocation procession

Convocation 2024: The New Crew Redux

Welcoming the class of 2028 to a challenged Harvard

by John S. Rosenberg

Covers of Harvard and Radcliffe College class of 1954 seventieth reunion class reports

How Harvard Has Evolved

Alumni perspectives on Harvard in crisis, and signs of a changed community

by Primus VI

A perfect match of poet and critic: Seamus Heaney and Helen Vendler at Sligo Town Hall for the Yeats International Summer School, 1987

The Friendship of Helen Vendler and Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney writes to Helen Vendler.

A whimsical illustration of four people in 1920s attire driving a vintage green car, waving a "Harvard" flag as they pass by a red-brick building with a clock tower at night.

Harvard Short Headlines from the Past

Headlines from Harvard’s history

Construction site of the commercial Enterprise Research Campus in Allston

Harvard Campus New Building Projects

Post-pandemic campus building resumes on a massive scale.

by Jack R. Trapanick

Herbert C. Kelman and Everett I. Mendelsohn

Harvard Professor on Social Psychology for Understanding War

Two scholars’ extracurricular efforts in the Middle East

by Primus VI

May 1976, John Finley’s last lecture, Sanders Theatre

The Remarkable Master of Eliot House at Harvard

Brief life of a masterful House Master: 1904-1995

by Constantine Archimedes Valhouli

Illustration of Harvard fencer competing in Paris Olympics 1924

Harvard History Roundup

Headlines from Harvard’s history