The oldest university in America, Harvard was established in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1636 -- just 16 years after the Pilgrams landed at Plymouth. It was named after John Harvard, who willed the school his library and a portion of his estate in 1638. In the early 19th century, the theology-based curriculum expanded to include natural philosophy, Greek, Latin, math, composition, philosophy and either French or Hebrew. In the late 19th century, university President Charles W. Eliot reformed the curriculum, adding faculty members and placing greater emphasis on electives. Today, Harvard offers 46 majors, 134 graduate degrees and 32 professional degrees.
Originally known as the College of New Jersey, Princeton University was founded in 1746 as a response to the religious revival called the Great Awakening. For many years, the school's culture reflected its founders' convictions. Students were required to know Latin and Greek and attend regular prayer meetings. Princeton was the site of a Revolutionary War battle and hosted the Continental Congress. The school's president even signed the Declaration of Independence. When the Constitutional Convention was held in 1787, nine delegates were Princeton graduates, more than any other college. It was renamed Princeton University in 1896.
Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale University was established in 1701 by Congregationalist Christians concerned that Harvard had forgotten its roots. In 1718, the school was named for Elihu Yale, a businessman who donated funds, books and a portrait of King George I. The school grew rapidly throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, adding graduate and professional schools that transformed it into a major university. Some of Yale's schools include Medicine, Law, Divinity, Arts and Sciences, Art, Nursing, Drama and Management. Presidents George H.W. Bush, William Clinton and George W. Bush are Yale alumni.
Stanford University was established in Palo Alto, California, in 1891, by railroad magnate Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane, as a memorial to their only son, who died at age 15. The Stanfords wanted to use their wealth to help other people's children. An unorthodox school at the time, it was nondenominational, co-ed and offered an education that was both practical and cultured. Today, Stanford offers students both undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 65 majors in seven schools, including Business, Earth Sciences, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Science, Law and Medicine. President Herbert Hoover was part of the school's first graduating class.
When Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819, he went against educational conventions. For example, the center of campus was a library rather than a chapel, students picked their own courses and instructors were distinguished scholars instead of clergy. The university secularized scientific thought, created student government and established an elective system. The school admitted women to some areas in 1920, and they gained full admittance in the 1970s.The first blacks were enrolled in the 1950s, and in 1953, the university awarded its first doctorate to a black student. Famous alumni include President Woodrow Wilson, author Edgar Allen Poe and Army doctor Maj. Walter Reed.