HarvardUniversity哈佛大学英文介绍.doc

历史 Harvard University is a private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1636 by the colonial Massachusetts legislature,[2] Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and currently comprises由构成 ten separate academic units. It is also the first and oldest corporation in the United States Initially called New College or the college at New Towne, the institution was renamed Harvard College on March 13, 1639. It was named after John Harvard, a young clergyman from the London Borough区 of Southwark and alumnus of Cambridge University (after which Cambridge, Massachusetts is named), who bequeathed馈赠 the College his library of four hundred books and ￡779 (which was half of his estate), assuring its continued operation.[7] The earliest known official reference to Harvard as a university occurs in the new Massachusetts Constitution of 1780. During his 40-year tenure as Harvard president (1869–1909), Charles William Eliot radically transformed Harvard into the pattern of the modern research university. Eliots reforms included elective courses, small classes, and entrance examinations. The Harvard model influenced American education nationally, at both college and secondary levels. Harvard has the second-largest financial endowment of any non-profit organization (behind the Bill Melinda Gates Foundation), standing at $26 billion as of September 2009 学术机构 Harvard today has nine faculties, listed below in order of foundation: The Faculty of Arts and Sciences and its sub-faculty, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, which together serve: Harvard College, the universitys undergraduate portion (1636) The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (organized 1872) The Harvard Division of Continuing Education, including Harvard Summer School (1871) and Harvard Extension School (1909). The Faculty of Medicine, including the Medical School (1782) The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (1867).