History
The actual formation of Harvard was by the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was called the Harvard College in 1639 in honor of John Harvard. He was a young clergyman who bequeathed half of his money and his library to the school on his death. During its early days, the college primarily educated ministers to the church. It started changing in the 19th century. It began to teach additional subjects and turned into a contemporary research university.[12][13][14]
Campus and Location
The school has its headquarters in Cambridge located 3.1 miles (4.9 km) northwest of Boston, around Harvard Yard. The school also owns facilities in Boston Longwood Medical Area in nearby Allston and medical facilities in Boston.[15][16][17][18]
Organization
There are eleven academic units (ten faculties and the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study) at Harvard.[19][20] The most well-known aspects are:
- Harvard College: Undergraduate students (students receiving their first degree).
- Harvard Law School: This is one of the most recognized schools of lawyers.
- Harvard Medical School: One of the leading schools of doctors.
- Harvard Business School: A school of learning how to manage companies.
People and Reputation
A large number of celebrities attended Harvard.[21][22][23] This includes:
- 8 U.S. Presidents: Among them, there are John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama.
- Nobel Prize Winners: Persons who have done outstanding discoveries in the field of science, peace, or literature.
- World Leaders: This was attended by many heads of state in other nations.
The biggest amount of money that is donated to any university in the world belongs to Harvard. This has an estimated value of more than 50 billion in 2023. This finances research as well as the school offers scholarships to those students who are not in a position to pay the tuition.[24][25][26][27]
Notable alumni
- John Adams, 2nd President of the United States
- George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States
- Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft
- Al Gore, 45th Vice President of the United States
- John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States
- Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States
- Natalie Portman, Actress & filmmaker
- Mark Zuckerberg, Founder & CEO of Facebook
- Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States