Who Founded Harvard University?
John Harvard’s statue at Harvard University
John Harvard was born in London in 1607 and educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, UK. In 1637, Harvard immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the U.S., seeking religious freedom. He became an assistant minister, then tragically contracted tuberculosis and died at the young age of 30.
Before his death, John Harvard donated his library of 400 books and half of his estate to a recently established college in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The institution was first called the “New College” and later was renamed after John Harvard.
Today, Harvard University stands as the equivalent of academic excellence and has become one of the most influential universities in the world.
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