Founding of the Harvard Summer School

Background. Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a private Ivy League research university founded in 1636. The Harvard Summer School, established in 1871, is part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences and is one of the principal programs within the Harvard Division of Continuing Education. Its founding came during the era in which Harvard, under President Charles William Eliot, was developing into a modern research university.

Operations. The Harvard Summer School is the first academic summer session established and the oldest summer school present in the United States. Students from American and foreign universities often enroll in the school to study for seven weeks with Harvard faculty as well as visiting scholars from other institutions. The school is one of the principal programs within the Harvard Division of Continuing Education.

Institutional Context. The Division of Continuing Education includes the Harvard Summer School and the Harvard Extension School. The university's main campus is centered on Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Summer School is part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, operating within the broader institutional framework of Harvard University's continuing education programs.