Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher
learning in the United States. Established in 1636 by vote of the Great and
General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Harvard was named after its
first benefactor, John Harvard, of Charlestown, Massachusetts. Upon his
death in 1638, the young minister left his library and half his estate to
the new College. Founded 16 years after the arrival of the
Pilgrims at Plymouth, the University has grown from nine students with a single
Master to an enrollment of more than 18,000 degree candidates, including
undergraduates and students in 10 graduate and professional schools. An
additional 13,000 students are enrolled in one or more courses in the Harvard
Extension School. Over 14,000 people work at Harvard, including more than 2,000
faculty. There are also 7,000 faculty appointments in affiliated teaching
hospitals.
Recent presidents James
Bryant Conant, Nathan M. Pusey, and Derek Bok have each made significant
contributions toward strengthening the quality of undergraduate and graduate
education at Harvard while, at the same time, maintaining the University's role
as a preeminent research institution. Conant (1933-53) introduced a system of ad
hoc committees from outside the University to evaluate tenure candidates being
considered for faculty positions. Conant also initiated the General Education
Program to give undergraduates breadth in fields outside their major study.