Reunions
The Class That Went Online: Harvard’s Class of 2000 Plugs In
In 1995, a faculty committee called for every staff and faculty member to have access to a computer and the internet, just in time for the arrival of the Class of 2000 on campus.
Service and Action: PBHA Becomes Political
Since its founding in 1904, the PBHA has served as Harvard’s flagship service organization — a place where students could give back to their city through volunteer work. In 1975, the PBHA expanded its mandate, inflected with the era’s activist ethos.
The Fall of Harvard’s Global Development Powerhouse
For nearly three decades, the Harvard Institute for International Development advised foreign governments on some of their most pressing economic and political issues. Then, in 2000, it was shuttered amid scandal.
From the Gridiron to the Lab: Christopher Nowinski’s Journey
When former Harvard football player Christopher J. Nowinski ’00 first set foot on campus, he had no idea that the hits he took on the field could cause permanent brain damage. Twenty-five years after his graduation, Nowinski’s ground-breaking work on concussions is paving the way for a safer future.
The Strauch Committee Considers Equal Admissions for Women
The Strauch Committee — tasked with determining whether to combine the Harvard-Radcliffe admissions offices and deciding whether to continue to enforce gender ratios in admissions — released its final report in 1975.
How Harvard Lost the JFK Library
In 1963, one month before his assassination, President John F. Kennedy ’40 visited Harvard to choose a site for his presidential library and archives. But after years of local controversy, the JFK library at Harvard never came to be.
The Adams-Pfoho Dining Hall War of 1999
Pranks, public shaming, football, drag, and a high-stakes tug-of-war game: A clash over lunch access sparked a memorable House rivalry for the Class of 2000.
How Fed Chair Ben Bernanke ’75 Discovered Economics at Harvard
As a still-undecided sophomore, Ben S. Bernanke ’75 did what hundreds of Harvard students have done for decades: enroll in Economics 10, the school’s introductory economics course sequence. The decision would launch him on his path to leading the Federal Reserve.
The Battle Over the Du Bois Institute
The Du Bois Institute, Harvard’s premier research center for African American studies, was born amid a protracted struggle over the structure of the Afro-American studies department.
‘The Michael Jordan of Whatever He Did’: How Raj Chetty ’00 Reshaped Economics
Before Chetty was an economics wunderkind whose work on social mobility shot him to stardom, he was a talented undergraduate, laser-focused on his economics work — and his beloved Chicago Bulls.
‘This Could Happen to My Friend’: How the Diallo Shooting Galvanized Harvard Students Against Police Brutality
On Feb. 4, 1999, four New York Police Department officers fired 41 shots at Amadou Diallo, an unarmed West African immigrant. More than a year later, the four officers were acquitted of all charges — and Harvard students refused to stay silent.
Napster Sparks Debate About Music Piracy at Harvard
When Napster was founded in May 1999, students across the country jumped at the opportunity to download their favorite music without the hassle of buying a new CD. But for universities, the novel technology posed a new problem: legal threats from the music industry.
Sameera Fazili ’00 Brings Humor and Perception to Economic Policy
Sameera Fazili ’00 entered college as a pre-med. But after taking a detour into human rights work and law, she became an economic adviser for the Obama and Biden administrations.
When Bill Gates Wrote Microsoft’s First Code on a Harvard Mainframe
Bill Gates arrived at Harvard College in September 1973 as a quiet freshman from Seattle in Wigglesworth Hall. He left campus two years later not with a degree, but with a piece of software that would launch Microsoft and begin reshaping the digital landscape.
‘Hilarious, Mesmerizing, Spellbinding’: Class of 1975 Recalls Muhammad Ali’s Sold-Out Speech
The Class of 1975 invited Ali to speak at the annual Class Day celebration after Mel Brooks and Bill Cosby declined invitations. Ali was able to work Harvard into his calendar — and delivered a speech that many undergrads recalled decades later.
‘Be Here Now’: Inside Harold Koh’s Journey From Pinball to Politics
Harold H. Koh started at Harvard as a Physics concentrator — before he went on to become dean of Yale Law School and an advisor to Barack Obama’s State Department.
1975 Swim Team 1
Kevin B. O’Connell ’78 and teammates gather poolside in 1975 after a training session in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Harvard Rowing 2000 Season
The Harvard heavyweight crew team lines up dockside during the 1999–2000 season.
Enduring Power: Revisiting the 2000 Harvard Men’s Crew Team
For the Class of 2000, the final spring on campus included one of Harvard crew’s most memorable seasons in recent memory. The men’s heavyweight team, under Coach Harry Parker, delivered key rivalry wins, set a Charles River course record, and created a formidable team that left a legacy of success that rippled into future years.
Wide Left, Just Short: The Pain and Promise of Harvard Football’s 2000 Season
In 2000, Harvard football season ended in disappointment. But the strong offense that season still made it memorable and set up the team for future success.
The Legacy of Harvard’s 1975 Men’s Swim Team
In 1975, the Harvard men’s swim team dominated its dual meet season with a 9-0 overall record. The team glided through the pool to success, thwarting fierce competitors including Navy, Princeton, and, of course, its historic rival Yale.
Interim President Garber Asks Alumni to Stick by Harvard Despite ‘Difficult Year’
Interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 had a speech prepared for Alumni Day about the University’s resilience after a year of nonstop turmoil on campus. But before Garber could begin speaking, an animal rights activist leaped onstage and doused him with gold glitter.
Dominance on the Ice: The 1999 Women’s Ice Hockey Team's Long Legacy
In what marks the 25th anniversary of the Harvard women’s ice hockey team’s historic triple-crown season, the team’s national championship run and the grit, perseverance, and dominance the squad displayed throughout that entire season is still spoken about with hushed reverence.