History of Harvard University in Timeline

Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a private Ivy League research university and the oldest higher education institution in the United States, founded in 1636. Named after its benefactor, John Harvard, it is renowned for its prestige, wealth, and influence, consistently ranking among the top universities globally. Harvard is a major center for research and education across various disciplines.

1900: Harvard becomes a founding member of the Association of American Universities

In 1900, Harvard became a founding member of the Association of American Universities. The student body was predominantly "old-stock, high-status Protestants, especially Episcopalians, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians," according to sociologist and author Jerome Karabel.

1900: Harvard co-founded the Association of American Universities

In 1900, Harvard co-founded the Association of American Universities, marking a significant step in collaborative academic research and development.

1903: Franklin D. Roosevelt graduates from Harvard

Franklin D. Roosevelt (AB, 1903), a notable alumnus, worked at The Harvard Crimson.

1909: End of Charles William Eliot's tenure as Harvard president

In 1909, Charles William Eliot's long tenure as Harvard's president came to an end. During his time, which began in 1869, Harvard developed multiple professional schools, transforming it into a modern research university.

1909: End of Charles William Eliot's presidency

In 1909, Charles William Eliot's presidency at Harvard University concluded. During his tenure, he reduced the favored position of Christianity in the curriculum and opened it to student self-direction, influencing the secularization of U.S. higher education.

1910: First meeting between Harvard and Cornell in men's ice hockey

In 1910, the first meeting between Harvard and Cornell in men's ice hockey took place, marking the beginning of a historic rivalry.

1923: A. Lawrence Lowell proposes capping Jewish student admissions

In 1923, A. Lawrence Lowell, Harvard's 22nd president, proposed capping the admission of Jewish students to 15% of the undergraduate population. Lowell also refused to mandate forced desegregation in the university's freshman dormitories.

1933: James B. Conant becomes Harvard University's 23rd president

In 1933, James B. Conant became Harvard University's 23rd president. He reinvigorated the university's creative scholarship and devised programs to identify, recruit, and support talented youth.

1940: John F. Kennedy graduates from Harvard

John F. Kennedy (AB 1940), a notable alumnus, worked at The Harvard Crimson.

1945: Publication of "General Education in a Free Society" report; women admitted to medical school

In 1945, Harvard faculty published the influential report "General Education in a Free Society", and women were first admitted to the medical school under James B. Conant's leadership.

1945: Standardized admissions open Harvard to a more diverse student group

In 1945, following the end of World War II, Harvard developed special exams to consider veterans for admission, standardizing admissions to open the university to a more diverse group of students.

1953: End of James B. Conant's presidency at Harvard University

In 1953, James B. Conant's tenure as the 23rd president of Harvard University came to a close. During his presidency, Conant worked to reinvigorate the university's creative scholarship.

1960: Harvard becomes accessible to middle-class students

By 1960, Harvard's undergraduate college became accessible to striving middle-class students from public schools; many more Jews and Catholics were admitted, but Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians remained underrepresented.

1971: Harvard controls admissions, instruction, and housing for Radcliffe women

In 1971, Harvard gained control over undergraduate admission, instruction, and housing for Radcliffe's women, marking a shift in the relationship between the two institutions.

1973: Beginning of the NCAA Division I era

In 1973, the NCAA Division I era began, marking a new chapter in Harvard Crimson athletics.

1986: Harvard reduces its South African holdings

In 1986, Harvard reduced its South African holdings by $230 million out of a total of $400 million, responding to pressure related to the country's apartheid policies.

1987: Harvard reduces its South African holdings

In 1987, Harvard reduced its South African holdings by $230 million out of a total of $400 million, responding to pressure related to the country's apartheid policies.

1989: Harvard men's ice hockey wins NCAA Division I championship

In 1989, the Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey team won the NCAA Division I championship.

1990: Harvard women's lacrosse wins NCAA Division I championship

In 1990, the Harvard Crimson women's lacrosse team won the NCAA Division I championship.

1999: Radcliffe formally merged into Harvard University

In 1999, Radcliffe was formally merged into Harvard University, consolidating the two institutions into a single entity.

2003: Harvard women's rowing wins NCAA Division I championship

In 2003, the Harvard Crimson women's rowing team won the NCAA Division I championship.

2003: Academic Ranking of World Universities ranks Harvard first

Since its founding in 2003, the Academic Ranking of World Universities has ranked Harvard first in each of its annual rankings of the world's colleges and universities.

2004: Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings ranks Harvard first

From 2004 to 2009, the Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings consistently ranked Harvard first in the world.

2006: Harvard men's fencing wins NCAA Division I championship

In 2006, the Harvard Crimson men's fencing team won the NCAA Division I championship.

July 1, 2007: Drew Gilpin Faust appointed Harvard's first female president

On July 1, 2007, Drew Gilpin Faust became Harvard's 28th president and the first woman to hold the position, marking a historic milestone for the university.

2007: Harvard faces significant losses during the recession

During the recession of 2007, Harvard suffered significant losses that forced large budget cuts, including temporarily halting construction on the Allston Science Complex.

2009: Harvard faces significant losses during the recession

During the recession of 2009, Harvard suffered significant losses that forced large budget cuts, including temporarily halting construction on the Allston Science Complex.

2009: Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings ranks Harvard first

From 2004 to 2009, the Times Higher Education–QS World University Rankings consistently ranked Harvard first in the world.

2010: Harvard's reputation in film

In 2010, film critic Paul Sherman noted that "In the grammar of film, Harvard has come to mean both tradition, and a certain amount of stuffiness."

2011: Harvard ranked highly by Mines ParisTech

Harvard topped Mines ParisTech: Professional Ranking of World Universities in 2011, which measured universities' numbers of alumni holding CEO positions in Fortune Global 500 companies.

2011: Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranks Harvard first

Since 2011, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings has ranked Harvard first in the world each year.

2016: Poor endowment performance forces cuts in graduate student funding

In fiscal year 2016, poor performance of Harvard's endowment forced a 4.4% cut in the number of graduate students funded by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

July 1, 2018: Drew Gilpin Faust retires; Lawrence Bacow becomes Harvard's 29th president

On July 1, 2018, Drew Gilpin Faust retired from her position, and Lawrence Bacow became Harvard's 29th president.

2018: Harvard awards degrees

During the 2018–2019 academic year, Harvard granted 1,665 baccalaureate degrees, 1,013 graduate degrees, and 5,695 professional degrees.

2019: Harvard ranked highly by University Ranking by Academic Performance

According to rankings of specific indicators, Harvard topped the University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2019–20.

2019: Faculty of Arts and Sciences academic staff number

As of 2019, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences is the largest Harvard faculty, with an academic staff of 1,211.

2019: Harvard awards degrees

During the 2018–2019 academic year, Harvard granted 1,665 baccalaureate degrees, 1,013 graduate degrees, and 5,695 professional degrees.

2019: Harvard's engineering school ranked third-best globally

In 2019, Harvard's engineering school was ranked the third-best school in the world for engineering and technology by Times Higher Education.

2019: Medical school ranks first for research

In 2019, Harvard's medical school consistently ranks first among medical schools for research, attracting $1.65 billion in research grants from the National Institutes of Health.

2021: Expansion of Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

In 2021, the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences expanded into the new Allston-based Science and Engineering Complex (SEC), a facility designed to encourage technology- and life science-focused startups and collaborations.

2022: Dissolution of the Undergraduate Council and replacement by the Undergraduate Association

In 2022, the Undergraduate Council, which represented Harvard College undergraduate students, was dissolved and replaced by the Undergraduate Association.

February 2023: Harvard workers attempt to organize a union

In February 2023, approximately 6,000 Harvard workers attempted to organize a union, signifying a potential shift in labor relations at the university.

June 2023: Bacow retires as president

In June 2023, Bacow retired as president of Harvard University.

2023: Harvard's endowment valued at approximately $50.7 billion

As of 2023, Harvard has the largest university endowment in the world, valued at about $50.7 billion.

2023: Harvard ranked in the first tier of American research universities

In the 2023 report from the Center for Measuring University Performance, Harvard was ranked in the first tier of American research universities, along with Columbia, MIT, and Stanford.

January 2024: Claudine Gay resigns as Harvard's president

In January 2024, Claudine Gay resigned as Harvard's president after only six months in office, following allegations of antisemitism and plagiarism.

August 2024: Alan Garber to be appointed Harvard's 31st president

In August 2024, the university announced that Alan Garber would be appointed Harvard's 31st president through the end of the 2026–27 academic year.

2024: Annual Harvard-Yale football rivalry game

As of 2024, Harvard and Yale have competed in their annual football rivalry game 139 times since its first meeting in 1875.

2024: Harvard men's fencing wins NCAA Division I championship

In 2024, the Harvard Crimson men's fencing team won the NCAA Division I championship.

April 2025: Federal government threatens to withhold funds from Harvard

In April 2025, under President Donald Trump, the federal government threatened to withhold nearly $9 billion in government funds from Harvard unless the university modified its policies to combat antisemitism and protect Jewish students. In response, the US Department of Education announced they were freezing $2.3 billion in federal funds to Harvard.

2025: Harvard's unique governance structure compared to peer universities

As of 2025, Harvard differs from its peer universities because it does not make its governing statutes publicly available and lacks an academic senate, though it is currently attempting to create one.

2026: Beginning of Alan Garber's final academic year as president

Harvard University announced that Alan Garber would be appointed Harvard's 31st president through the end of the 2026–27 academic year. This will be his last year as president.