This month in Harvard history

April 4, 1945 – At the Kaiser Shipyard in Richmond, Calif., the Radcliffe Club of San Francisco performs launching honors for the “S.S. Radcliffe Victory,” one of several wartime Victory ships named after prominent U.S. colleges and universities. Radcliffe students raise money for the ship’s library.

April 1947 – Shortly after Easter, a group of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews meets in Phillips Brooks House to form an interfaith organization: the Harvard Religious Council. The announced purpose is “to promote justice, harmony, and understanding among the various religious faiths at the College.” Startup support comes from the National Council of Christians and Jews.

April 23, 1949 – For the eighth consecutive time, the Harvard Varsity Crew wins the Compton Cup Race on the Charles, outrowing teams from Princeton, MIT, and Rutgers. “All of the races were rowed under miserable conditions – wind, rough water, rain, and, in the varsity race, semi-darkness,” notes Athletics Director William J. Bingham ’16.

– From the Harvard Historical Calendar, a database compiled by Marvin Hightower