History of Harvard

TL;DR -- Over the decade of research, we have run into Harvard lots of times. And so, we need to collect those things seen and written about in a sequence that depicts several things. One of these would be the influence of the times upon Harvard and vice versa. The 1600s got us bogged down. We will be at this for a while updating this post and creating others. 

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This is one of our quests related to the upcoming 400th. We have some time but need to get to work early since there is a lot to do. Harvard has several histories. This one is from the view of the families here for 400 years with members related to Harvard several ways which will be further categorized as we find material. Anyone interested in helping, please contact us. 

We will start with this brief list in a temporal order. It follows, somewhat, the order in this Quora article titled: What is the coolest obscure historical fact you know? We chose the topic of Harvard having a parallel history with the U.S. 

• 1600s - We have seen much material but no coherent overview. Nathaniel Eaton was the first known head according to Wikipedia. However, on the Wikipedia page, his educational experience is out of order. There are several posts in this blog that refer to Nathaniel: search in blog on Eaton. A search in Google (hasty pudding - Nathaniel Eaton) will bring up lots of repeats of the story. On the other hand, this look at the man by the Eaton Families Association needs to be added to the pile (starting on page 13 - A Discussion of Nathaniel Eaton’s Reputation as Seen by History). A few more views: Hanging Crepe in Trump Land—It’s Harvard’s Birthday, Boston 400/Harvard, ...  Moving on: Harvard’s First President: “A Man for All Seasons”. On Dunster. ...
• 1700s - Loosening morals and more. Revolution baby. He helped Transcendentalism to transcend. Rumford Chair of Physics.
• 1800s - Long century of activity on the interior. Post mid-century, as the civil war loomed, most southern students left when Cornelius Conway Felton was President. The turmoil occurred during Thomas Hill's period. C. W. Eliot began his reign in 1869. 
• 1900s - Several topics want attention. Let's start with testing. 
• 2000s - Harvard releases report on its involvement with slavery. 

Note: We will be editing this post continuously. As topics become too big, we'll split out other posts. The motive is to cover the whole of the history from the time of Nathaniel (kin) until the present time with a focus on people other than Harvard staff and students, most of which will be American. 

Which this guy was firstly. That is, he was here before he went back over there. 

Count Rumford
See our first look at the guy

This guy funded the secular revolution at Harvard. How did they go adrift? Of course, one has to also ask, did they? Lots to discuss. 

Heads of Harvard 

0. Nathaniel Eaton, 1. Henry Dunster, 2. Charles Chauncy, 3. Leonard Hoar, 

4. Urian Oakes, 5. John Rogers, 6. Increase Mather, - Samuel Willard, 

7. John Leverett, 8. Benjamin Wadsworth, 9. Edward Holyoke, - John Winthrop, 

10. Samuel Locke, - John Winthrop, 11. Samuel Langdon, 

                                                                12. Joseph Willard, - Eliphalet Pearson, 

13. Samuel Webber, 14. John Thornton Kirkland, 15. Josiah Quincy, III, 

16. Edward Everett, 17. Jared Sparks, 18. James Walker, 

19. Cornelius Conway Felton, 20. Thomas Hill, 21. Charles William Eliot, 

22. A. Lawrence Lowell, 23. James Bryant Conant, 24. Nathan Pusey, 

25. Derek Bok, 26. Neil Rudenstine, 27. Lawrence Summers, 

28. Drew Gilpin Faust, 29. Lawrence Bacow 

In its own words: History of the Presidency. Goes back to Dunster. Also, Hasty Pudding, of which many on this list were members. 

Topical items, mostly. This will be a list to motivate future research. Will add the date it was entered.

• 03/09/2022 -- Obama joins list of seven presidents with Harvard degrees. The other seven were: John Adams; John Q. Adams; Rutherford B. Hayes; Theodore Roosevelt; Franklin D. Roosevelt; and John F. Kennedy. ... Amid the Old Burying Ground. Gosh, buried there are Dunster, Chauncy, Oakes, Leverett, Wadsworth, Joseph Willard, and Holyoke. ... Gripes between bites. Starts with " defeatin' Eaton over eatin' " and continues. Like that. ... 
• ...

Remarks: Modified: 10/31/2022

12/06/2021 -- Add Eliphalet Pearson. Changed pointer for Eliphalet to Wikipedia. ... Add in Samuel and Joseph Willard. 

12/10/2021 -- Add Nathan Pusey who followed James Bryant Conant. 

12/11/2021 -- Add numbers, format, add Henry Dunster (kin). Add John Winthrop as acting at two different times. 

12/15/2021 -- Add link for Joshiah Quincy, III. His mother is hugely of New England pedigree. 

12/24/2021 -- The feed finally provided me with a page. Had been looking at the Hasty Pudding material. Harvard material on Rumford and his daughter. 

01/06/2022 -- We'll have to build a source list, starting with Richard Norton Smith's The Harvard Century: The Making of a University to a Nation (1998) and Elizabeth Tucker's Campus Legends: A Handbook (2005) (quote: Goat's dung and mackerel guts rival modern "fast food" legends in the degree of disgust that they inspire. From this account and others, it seems clear that America's first college students enjoyed telling stories that highlighted -- and probably exaggerated -- the most shocking details of their miserable meals at college) which can be previewed. ... Add Charles William Elliott.  

01/17/2022 -- Add Samuel Webber. There is conflicting information about him published. So, we will check that out. Too, he's of a family that is little known, comparatively. Then, his mathematical interests are appealing, for several reasons.  

01/23/2022 -- Add Charles Chauncy who followed Henry Dunster. It was in Chauncey's term that the first Native American graduated, in 1665. 

02/05/2022 -- Add Samuel Locke. We are now talking about periods related to the Revolution (250th coming up). 

02/09/2022 -- Add Leonard Hoar. He initiated the Catalogue. 

02/16/2022 -- Add Increase Mather and put in link for Samuel Locke. Add a little verbiage for the 1800s. 

03/09/2022 -- Add Drew Gilpin Faust. First woman President. Next up will be to get the narrative up to date. Started the topical list (nice to know of the Gazette). Add John Leverett.

04/05/2022 -- In preparation of bringing in another Head, changed the list to have three per line, for now. 

04/07/2022 -- Add Benjamin Wadsworth whose time was of the early transformation to modern moral declination (complexity, our forte). 

04/18/2022 -- Add Urian Oakes, the 4th Head. 

04/24/2022 -- As we involve Harvard in our look at the U.S. through time, we will bring in the English aspect via comparative views about Oxford and Cambridge. 

04/29/2022 -- Add Edward Everett. #16 of 29 or so. Not quite the middle, but close enough. 

05/02/2022 -- Add link to Harvard's report on slavery. 

05/17/2022 -- Add John Rogers. 

06/28/2022 -- Add Edward Holyoke. Corporal punishment pops up? 

07/16/2022 -- Add Samuel Langdon, D.A.R. Patriot. Irritated Harvard Tories. 

07/22/2022 -- Add Nathaniel Eaton. 

08/13/2022 -- Add post on Cornelius Conway Felton. 

08/31/2022 -- Add Jared Sparks. 

09/01/2022 -- Add James Walker. 

09/17/2022 -- Add John Winthrop (twice in an interim role). 

10/15/2022 -- Add Thomas Hill. This brings us to the 1930s, or 300 years. That's enough. Let's go back and start with the interesting folks and their times. 

10/31/2022 -- Add Derek Bok. Now, will do the two final ones (Rudenstine and Summers). We want to help make the 400ths a time of reflection and regaining of knowledge.