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History of the Presidency

Harvard President Alan Garber smiling

Term of office: 2024-present

Alan M. Garber

Alan Garber became president of Harvard University on August 2, 2024.

Learn more about President Garber

Past Presidents

1900s1800s | 1700s | 1600s

2000s

Students ringing the bells above Lowell House.

What’s in a name?

Lowell House

Named for Harvard President Abbott Lawrence Lowell and his family, the Lowell House, constructed in 1930, is home to a collection of 17 Russian bells, which were given as a gift in 1930.

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1900s

Two people walking past Kirkland house.

What’s in a name?

Kirkland House

Named for John Thornton Kirkland, who served as President of Harvard from 1810 to 1828, an important period of growth and expansion for the College.

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1800s

Wadsworth house

What’s in a name?

Wadsworth House

Named for Harvard President Benjamin Wadsworth, Wadsworth House is the second oldest building at Harvard. General George Washington set up his first Massachusetts headquarters in the house while in command of the Revolutionary troops.

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1700s

The library of Dunster House

What’s in a name?

Dunster House

Named in honor of Henry Dunster, who became the first president of Harvard College immediately after his arrival in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay in 1640. When he left the College in 1654, it had become a well-established institution.

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1600s