Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/509

 HARVARD UNIVERSITY 495 members of the board, and no alumnus is " en- titled to vote for overseers before the fifth an- nual election after the graduation of his class." The first degree of D. D. ever granted by the in- stitution was conferred upon Increase Mather in 1692. A few years later Harvard college re- ceived the first of a series of munificent gifts from the Hollis family, including some valuable books. In 1764 the library was destroyed by fire, and about 6,000 volumes were lost, in- cluding all of Harvard's books except one, the oriental collection bequeathed by Dr. Light- foot, and the Greek and Roman classics pre- ited by Bishop Berkeley. Harvard has had presidents, as follows : NAMES. Term of service. Joseph Willard.... 1781-1804 Samuel Webber... 1806-1810 John Thornton Kirkland Josiah Quincy. . . . Edward Everett.. Jared Sparks James Walker.... Cornelius Conway Felton Thomas Hill... 1810-1828 1829-1846 1846-1849 1849-1853 1853-1860 ident and fellows, known also as the corpora- tion of Harvard college, and the overseers. The latter body has undergone various changes in its organization, but its general powers and duties are the same as those conferred by the act of 1642, giving the board "full power and authority to make and establish all such or- ders, statutes, and constitutions as they shall see necessary for the instituting, guiding, and furthering of the said college, and the several members thereof, from time to time, in piety, morality, and learning;" and " also to dispose, order, and manage " all the funds and property of the institution. The " corporation," con- sisting of the president and treasurer of the university and five fellows, is vested with the right to acquire and to hold property and to sue and to be sued. With this board originate all nominations to office in the university, as well for filling vacancies in its own body, as for president, professors, and other officers of in- struction. Its action, however, is subject to the approval of the board of overseers. The functions of these two governing bodies extend to all the professional and special schools of the university. The internal government of the institution is administered by the president, deans, and faculties composed of officers of in- struction. Besides the dean and faculty of the NAMES. Term of service. Punster.... 1640-1654 iChauncy.. 1654-1672 Hoar 1672-1675 riah Oakes 1675-1682 ohn Rogers 1682-1684 e Mather... 1685-1701 muel Willard (acting) ohn Leverett. . . j. Wadsworth ward Holyoke. uel Locke.... 1701-1707 1708-1724 1725-1737 1787-1769 1770-1773 Charles William El- iot uelLangdon... 1774-1780 The external administration of the university vested in two separate boards, viz., the pres- Matthews Hall (showing also Massachusetts, Harvard, and Hollis Halls). college proper, each professional department has a dean and special faculty ; but the presi- dent of the university is the president of each of the faculties. In 1870 the office of dean of the college faculty was created to relieve the president of a portion of his duties. The uni- versity lands in various parts of Cambridge ., comprise about 60 acres. The college yard con- College house and Holyoke house, on the oppo- tains about 15 acres, tastefully laid out and site side of the street from the college grounds, 392 VOL. viii. 32 adorned by many stately old elms. Here, forming a large qu adran ? uiar enclosure, are clustered 15 extensive buildings, of brick or stone, from two to five stories high. Hollis, Stoughton, Holworthy, Grays, Thayer, Weld, and Matthews halls, the last three erected since 1870, are exclusively dormitories, which, with