History Stories

  Crimson was officially designated as Harvard’s color by a vote of the Harvard Corporation in 1910. But why crimson? A pair of rowers, Charles W. Eliot, Class of 1853, and Benjamin W. Crowninshield, Class of 1858, provided crimson scarves to their teammates so that spectators could differentiate Harvard’s crew team from other teams during a regatta in 1858. Eliot became Harvard’s 21st president in 1869 and served until 1909; the Corporation vote to make the color of Eliot’s bandannas the official color came soon after he stepped down. But before the official vote by the Harvard Corporation, students’ color of choice had at one point wavered between crimson and magenta – probably because the idea of using colors to represent universities was still new in the latter part of the 19th century. Pushed by popular debate to decide, Harvard undergraduates held a plebiscite on May 6, 1875, on the University’s color, and crimson won by a wide margin. The student newspaper – which had been calle

https://www.bestcollegereviews.org/history-behind-harvard-university/#:~:text=Harvard%20University%20possesses%20the%20title,John%20Harvard. Harvard University possesses the title of America’s oldest learning institution, founded in 1636. At its inception, this university’s name was “New College,” and its purpose was mainly to educate clergy. In 1639, the school’s name became Harvard University, so named for the Rev. John Harvard. Harvard bequeathed half of his estate and his entire library to the school upon his death. This significant bequest led the school to honor him by taking his name. During the colonial era, Harvard utilized a curriculum that focused on rote learning by repeated drilling. This style of learning conformed to the typical teaching styles of this period. The university kept a small faculty, but the professors had illustrious reputations as some of the most learned men of this era. In 1782, Harvard added medical studies to the school’s programs. Some buildings still