HARVARD COLLEGE, the oldest college in the United States, often termed a univer sity, was founded at Cambridge, Mass., 3 in. from Boston, in 1636, only six years after the settlement of the colony, £800 having been appropriated in three sums for the support of "a schoale or colledge." In 1639 this " sehoale" was named Har vard college, in honor of the rev. John Harvard, who gave it £700. It has been well endowed by private liberality, chiefly that of the merchants of Boston, and has, besides its valuable landed property, 1,000,000 dollars of invested funds. At its first establish ment this now flourishing college was little more than an Indian school. Many Indian youth were received, but only one ever graduated. They were found utterly untit for the life, pursuits, and studies of civilization, and those partly educated went back to their forests and wigwams. The first president of Harvard was the rev. Henry Minster,
1640. In 1764 the library was destroyed by fire; the only works saved being an oriental collection, bequeathed by Dr. Lightfoot, and the Greek and Roman classics, presented by bishop Berkeley. In 1848 a scientific department was generously endowed by Abbott Lawrence, for the benefit of persons who do not wish to pursue the full course. The government is vested in the president, five fellows, and treasurer, with it board of overseers, elected by and from among the alumni of the university. Connected with the college are seven professional schools of law, theology, medicine, science, mining, den tistry, and agriculture. The buildings of the university, consisting of halls, dormitories, chapels, museum, etc., are very extensive. There were, in 1874, 110 professors and tutors, 1174 students, and libraries of 200,000 volumes.