Harvard University
the oldest institution of learning in the United HARVARD UNIVERSITY, the oldest States, founded in Cambridge, Mass., 3 miles from Boston, in 1636. At a meet- States, founded in Cambridge, Mass., 3 ing of the General Court of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay convened on Sept. 8, only six years after its first settlement, of Massachusetts Bay convened on Sept. it was voted to give £400 toward a year 12 of the most eminent men of the colony, including John Cotton, and John Winthrop, were authorized "to take or der for a college at Newtown." The name of Cambridge was soon afterward adopted in recognition of the English University, where many of the colonists had been educated. In 1638 John Harvard, a young non-conformist minister, had been educated. In 1638 John Har- vard, a young non-conformist minister, lege £750, and his entire library of 300 volumes. The institution was immediately opened, and was named after its ately opened, and was named after its volumes. The institution was immedi- Rev. Henry Dunster.
Between 1636 and 1782 Harvard College conferred only the degrees of Bachlege conferred only the degrees of Bach- Between 1636 and 1782 Harvard Colterm University was applied to it in the constitution of Massachusetts. In 1782 cine were established and the first degree of Bachelor in Medicine was conand 1783 three professorships of medimedicine were transferred to Boston, and in 1815. The Law School was established medicine were transferred to Boston, and there the first medical college was built the earliest school in the country conin 1817, and has the distinction of being nected with a university and authorized to confer degrees in law. The Divinity vinity was established in 1721, but the School was a gradual outgrowth of the divinity faculty was not formally organcollege; the Hollis professorship of Diized till 1819. It is undenominational- divinity faculty was not formally organno assent to the peculiarities of any denomination of Christianity being re- no assent to the peculiarities of any dequired of any instructor or student. the college, and justified the wider title. These were the three oldest additions to The Scientific School instituted in 1847, and at first announced as an advanced sented it with $50,000. It confers the school in science and literature, was named after school in science and literature, was sented it with $50,000. It confers the HARVARD UNIVERSITY placed in 1890, together with the Law- Graduate School, established in 1872, and Science, Doctor of Philosophy, and Docthe degrees of Master of Arts, Master of placed in 1890, together with the Lawulty of Arts and Sciences, confers also the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of its course being three years; it gives the uated in Boston, was instituted in 1867, established in 1882, has a free clinic, a uated in Boston, was instituted in 1867, hospital, a pharmacy its course being three years; it gives the and its course of three years leads to the degree of D. V. M. The Arnold Aracy and shoeing forge, boretum was founded in 1872 as the outcome of the will of James Arnold, and is practically a public park of great boriculture, Dendrology and Forestry. is practically a public park of great beauty and an experiment station in Arture was established in 1870 in accordance with the will of Benjamin Bussey, and is known as the Bussey Institution. ture was established in 1870 in accord- Agricultural Science. The Astronomical Observatory was established in 1843 by Tier was built in 1846, and two years Observatory was established in 1843 by Agricultural Science. The Astronomical means of a public subscription; the Sears queathed to the university the sum of $100,000 for the observatory. A branch station is established on a mountain 8,000 feet high, near Arequipa, Peru. Among station is established on a mountain 8,000 the 8-inch transit-circle, the 11-inch the more important instruments are the feet high, near Arequipa, Peru. Among HARVEST MOON inch photographic telescope, and the meridian photometer. In 1914 the university was divided into the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Faculty of Divinity, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Applied Science.
Among the other establishments belonging to the university are the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy (1850); the Botanical Museum; the Mineralogical Museum; the Natural History Laboratories; the Peabody Museum of can Archæology and Ethnology, founded in 1866 and transferred to the university in 1897; the Semitic Museum founded in 1889; the William Hayes Fogg Art Museum, founded in 1895, and containing, among other treasures the Gray engravings and the Randall gravings; the Botanic Garden, founded in 1807, and the Gray Herbarium, sented to the University in 1864; and Radcliffe College, brought into official relation with the university in 1894. Besides the various department libraries, more than a dozen in number, there is a University Library kept in Gore Hall, numbering 700,000 volumes, and as many maps and pamphlets. In 1764 the library was destroyed by fire, the only works saved being an Oriental collection bequeathed by Dr. Lightfoot, and the Greek and Roman classics presented by Bishop Berkley.
The university buildings number more than 60, including the the great Memorial Hall, built in honor of the alumni who perished in the Civil War. In 1909 Charles W. Eliot retired after 40 years as president, and was succeeded by A.
Lawrence Lowell. In 1919 the faculty numbered 827, and the students 4,891.