Introduction to Harvard

An aerial view of Harvard's Campus with many red brick and cement buildings on the horizon. A white tower with a red dome and a white tower with a blue dome stand out in the skyline. There are many tall trees with green foliage. In the foreground of the image is a river where there are a few boats. Crossing the river is a brown bridge that connects parts of Harvard’s campus.
A close up image of a brown leather book with a binding strap with a button across center of the book, holding the two sides closed. The book has a gold trim and on the right center of the folder is writing in completely capitalized gold letters that says "The Bequest of John Harvard, 1698".
In the background of the photo are many red brick buildings with snow on their roofs and on top of the center building is a white tower with a bright red dome and a clock. In front of those buildings is a brown bridge over water. In the reflection of the water is the white tower with the red dome that is the center of the skyline.
In the background of the photo, there is a red-brick building with white columns and details and a grey roof. Beyond the building, there is a tower with a green dome. In the foreground of the image, there is a two way street with many cars and one biker.

Introduction to Harvard

Harvard University is located on the traditional and ancestral land of the Massachusett, the original inhabitants of what is now known as Boston and Cambridge. We pay respect to the people of the Massachusett Tribe, past and present, and honor the land itself which remains sacred to the Massachusett People.

Harvard University is the first institution of higher education in the United States. It was founded in 1636 by the Massachusetts Bay Colony under the name Newtowne College. Two years later, it was renamed after the College's first benefactor, the young minister John Harvard, who died at the age of 30 and left his library (400 books) and half of his estate to the institution.

A marbled stone building that is several stories tall, with ornate glass windows and several large columns on the front of the building. On either side of the building, there are trees. In the foreground of the image, there is a road with several people walking across the crosswalk.
A grey metallic-looking building with many large windows and intricate silver grating over all of the windows. The building is surrounded by a chain link fence.

Now, "Harvard College" refers to the undergraduate school, while "Harvard University" includes the college plus Harvard's graduate schools, research departments, institutes, and centers. The University's primary academic buildings are located in Cambridge and in the Longwood and Allston areas of Boston, Massachusetts.

In the photo, there are rows of cheering and smiling students in black graduation robes with mortarboards on their heads. The students in the further back rows of the image are waving red clappers shaped like hands to celebrate their graduation. Beyond the student, there is a red-brick building with white columns. Red flags bearing the Harvard shield are hung up between the columns.

Students in the Harvard College class of 2027 hail from more than 100 countries and all 50 states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. A joint commencement ceremony for both graduate and undergraduate students is held in May in Harvard Yard.

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