At a meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on Nov. 4, 2025, the following tribute to the life and service of the late Ralph Mitchell was spread upon the permanent records of the Faculty.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and disease-fighting researchers across Harvard are the recipients of Jerry and Darlene Jordan’s recent $10 million gift to the University. The gift is just the latest expression of the Jordans’ generosity: Over the years, Jerry ’61, M.B.A. ’67, and Darlene Jordan have funded financial aid, athletics, and other programs at Harvard College and the Business School.Five million dollars of their gift is designated for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to help strengthen FAS programs, as well as enrich student life at the College.
Robin Herman has been appointed assistant dean for communications at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). She has served as director of the School’s office of communications for the past six years.
Two members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) have been appointed to University Professorships. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, currently the James Duncan Phillips Professor of Early American History, known for her work on daily life in late 18th and early 19th century America, has been appointed the 300th Anniversary University Professor. Peter Galison, the Mallinckrodt Professor of the History of Science and of Physics, best known for his studies of 20th century microphysics, has been named the Joseph Pellegrino University Professor.
The Harvard men’s and women’s hockey teams will battle Boston University for Beantown bragging rights early next week in the opening rounds of the 54th and 26th annual Beanpot Tournaments, respectively.
The Tennis Camps at Harvard (TCH), one of the area’s most appealing summer activities for children and adults, will start its 16th season on June 12 at the Beren Tennis Center at Soldiers Field Athletic Complex.
Theda Skocpol, dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), has accepted a three-year term as a Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study senior adviser in the social sciences, effective Jan. 1.
James H. Sidanius, a psychologist best known for establishing and refining an influential theory of social dominance along lines of gender, age, race, and class, has been named professor of psychology and of African and African American Studies in Harvard University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, effective Jan. 1.
Following are some of the incidents reported to the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) for the week ending Jan. 30. The official log is located at 1033 Massachusetts Ave., sixth floor.
Arthur Taylor von Mehren, the Story Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School (HLS), died Jan. 18 at the age of 83. In addition to educating thousands of Harvard Law students over the course of a 50-year teaching career, von Mehren was a pioneer in comparative and private international law. He helped to develop new thinking on a range of legal issues including international jurisdictions, commercial arbitration, and comparative constitutional law.
Assistant Professor of Astronomy Bryan M. Gaensler of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) has been awarded the 2006 Newton Lacy Pierce Prize by the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Gaensler received the prize for his work on the interactions between neutron stars and their surroundings, which led to a greater appreciation of the wide diversity of magnetized neutron stars.
William C. Kirby, dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and Geisinger Professor of History, has announced his plans to step down from the deanship at the end of the 2005-06 academic year. He will return to his scholarship and teaching, and take on a university-wide role in guiding Harvards expanding array of academic initiatives focused on China, while serving as director of Harvards John King Fairbank Center for East Asian Research.
When I was in college, The Norton Anthology of English Literature ended with Dylan Thomas. Bringing up the rear in this long parade of writers was not a position likely to win the Welsh poet new readers. With so many older figures to cover, my English professor never even got to Thomas. The most recent poet we read was T.S. Eliot. After that, we were on our own.
Concluding its annual meeting and interviews at Harvard this past December, the Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowships Administrative Board has awarded fellowships to eight graduating seniors – the most ever awarded by the board in a single year, in recognition of an excellent applicant pool. Rockefeller Fellowships contribute $18,000 toward a year of purposeful postgraduate immersion in a foreign culture for candidates at critical stages in their development who feel a compelling need for new and broadening experience.
The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the nations oldest dramatic organization, has named its recipients for the 2006 Woman of the Year and Man of the Year awards – Halle Berry and Richard Gere.
Tommy Lee Jones 69 returned to Harvard to attend the premiere of his new film, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. The film marks Jones debut as the director of theatrical films (he directed a TV movie, The Good Old Boys, in 1995). This time, however, he is also co-producer, co-writer, and star.
Its just one of those nights when you know youre going to get a full house, said Allston Brighton resident Dan McLaughlin as he watched his two boys stickhandling pucks and kicking up plumes of ice with a bunch of other excited boys, girls, and Harvard hockey players under the lights of the Bright Hockey Center.
William C. Kirby, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) and Geisinger Professor of History, has announced his plans to step down from the deanship at the end of the 2005-06 academic year.
Robert Bridgeman (from left), director of PBH Programs, Amanda Sonis Glynn, director of the Harvard Public Service Network, Mina Makarious 06, and Mae Bunagan 06 seem to enjoy sorting through gifts donated for the Phillips Brooks House gift drive.
Just over 800 students were admitted to Harvard Colleges Class of 2010 under the Early Action program this week (Dec. 14-15), the smallest number since the Class of 1999. While the exact numbers were not available by press time as the Admissions Committee finished its final deliberations, it appears that there will be 80 or so fewer admitted compared with last years 892 for the Class of 2009.
At its seventh meeting of the year on Dec. 14, the Faculty Council received a report from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Resources Committee and from the dean for development.
Dec. 3, 1954 – During Radcliffe’s 75th Anniversary ceremony, Radcliffe President Wilbur Kitchener Jordan presents Ada Louise Comstock (Notestein, since her 1943 marriage), his immediate predecessor, with a citation hailing…
Following are some of the incidents reported to the Harvard University Police Department for the week ending Dec. 12. The official log is located at 1033 Massachusetts Ave., sixth floor, and is available online at http://www.hupd.harvard.edu/.
Harvard University Monday (Dec. 12) announced the creation of a University-wide program on Islamic studies, made possible by a $20 million gift from Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud. The new program will build on Harvards strong commitment to the study of the religious traditions of the world. It will also augment Harvards existing strength by increasing the number of faculty focused on Islamic studies, providing additional support to graduate students, and making rare Islamic textual sources available in digital format.
Featured series 
Gallery
