HARVARD PRESIDENTS

It is the duty of the President of the University to call meetings of the Corporation, and preside at the same; to act as the ordinary medium of communication between the Corporation and the Overseers, and between the Corporation and the Faculties; to make an annual report to the Overseers on the general condition of the University; to preside on public academic days; to preside over the several Faculties; to direct the official correspondence of the University; to acquaint himself with the state, interests, and wants of the whole institution; and to exercise a general superintendence over all its concerns. For the better discharge of these duties, he must live in Cambridge.  

History

Beginning with the appointment of Henry Dunster in 1640, Harvard has selected 28 presidents. Over the past four centuries, the president’s role has evolved from direct participation in all aspects of institutional management — admissions, discipline, curriculum and instruction, personnel, finances, and fundraising — to leadership of a major academic research institution with a multifaceted administrative organization. In its current form, the Harvard presidency can trace its roots to Charles William Eliot’s tenure, 1869-1909, when the University’s modern administrative structure first emerged.

Harvard Presidents: Duties, Rights, and Ceremony

The Harvard University Archives collects the administrative records and personal papers of Harvard presidents.

Administrative records:
These records document presidents’ involvement in official University business, from establishing institutional policies to shaping academic programs.

• Early presidential records (through 1868) are interfiled with the general administrative records of the College. A topical card index to these records is available in the Archives’ reading room.
• From 1869 (the start of President Eliot’s administration) to the present, presidential records are maintained as distinct record series for each administration. Detailed inventories of these record series are available online.

Personal papers:
The personal papers document individuals’ lives, including careers both before and after assuming the presidency, as well as academic and scholarly pursuits and family activities. Detailed inventories for the personal papers of most presidents are available online.

Henry Dunster Term in office: 1640-1654 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search Harvard Charter, 1650

Charles Chauncy Term in office: 1654-1672 HOLLIS search

Leonard Hoar Term in office: 1672-1675 HOLLIS search

Urian Oakes Term in office: 1675-1681 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

John Rogers Term in office: 1682-1684 HOLLIS search

Increase Mather Term in office: 1685-1701 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

John Leverett Term in office: 1708-1724 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

Benjamin Wadsworth Term in office: 1725-1737 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

Edward Holyoke Term in office: 1737-1769 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

Samuel Locke Term in office: 1770-1773 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

Samuel Langdon Term in office: 1774-1780 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

Joseph Willard Term in office: 1781-1804 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

Samuel Webber Term in office: 1806-1810 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

John Thornton Kirkland Term in office: 1810-1828 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search

Josiah Quincy Term in office: 1829-1845 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search Quincy's The History of Harvard University   • Hard copy at Harvard   • Full text (via Google books) v. 1   v. 2

Edward Everett Term in office: 1846-1849 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search Everett on being Harvard's President Inaugural address

Jared Sparks Term in office: 1849-1853 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search Inaugural address

James Walker Term in office: 1853-1860 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search Inaugural address

Cornelius Conway Felton Term in office: 1860-1862 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search Inaugural address

Thomas Hill Term in office: 1862-1868 Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search Inaugural address

Charles William Eliot Term in office: 1869-1909 Inventory of Papers Inventory of Records HOLLIS search Inaugural address

Abbott Lawrence Lowell Term in office: 1909-1933 Index to Presidential Correspondence HOLLIS search Inaugural address

James Bryant Conant Term in office: 1933-1953 Inventory of Records Inventory of Papers HOLLIS search Inaugural address

Nathan Marsh Pusey Term in office: 1953-1971 Inventory of Records HOLLIS search Inaugural address

Derek Bok Term in office: 1971-1991, acting president 2006-2007 HOLLIS search Inaugural address

Neil L. Rudenstine Term in office: 1991-2001 HOLLIS search Inaugural Address Pointing Our Thoughts

Lawrence H. Summers Term in office: 2001-2006 HOLLIS search Inaugural address "Summers in Summary" (Harvard Magazine)

Drew Gilpin Faust Term in office: 2007- HOLLIS search Press Kit