John Harvard (1607–1638) was an English clergyman and benefactor. He is known as the person after whom Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher education in the United States, is named. Upon his death, he bequeathed half of his estate and his entire library to the institution.

Birth and Early Life

John Harvard was born on 26 November 1607 in London as the fourth of nine children of Robert and Katherine Harvard. He was baptized on 29 November 1607 at St. Savior's Parish Church (now Southwark Cathedral). His father was a butcher. The family had ancestral roots in Stratford-on-Avon through his mother. Many members of John Harvard’s family, including his father and four siblings, died during the plague outbreak of 1625.

Education

Harvard received his early education at the language school in St. Savior's, where he was prepared for university under the guidance of Nicholas Morton, the school’s headmaster. In 1627 he enrolled at Emmanuel College, part of the University of Cambridge. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1632 and his master’s degree in 1635.

Statue of John Harvard at Harvard University (picryl)

Marriage and Migration to America

John Harvard married Ann Sadler on 19 April 1636. After his mother’s death in July 1635, he inherited a property in London that provided him with financial support. In early 1637, following the death of his only surviving brother, Thomas, Harvard decided with his wife to emigrate from England for religious reasons. The couple crossed the Atlantic in the spring or summer of 1637 and settled in Charlestown near Boston. On 6 November 1637, he became a member of the First Church in Charlestown, where he served as a teaching minister.

Statue of John Harvard (picryl)

Death and Legacy

Shortly after settling in Charlestown, John Harvard died on 14 September 1638 at the age of 30 from tuberculosis. In his will, he bequeathed half of his estate, valued at more than £1,600, and his entire library to the new college established by the Massachusetts Bay General Court. In recognition of this donation, the General Court voted on 13 March 1639 to name the college Harvard College in his honor.

Harvard’s original burial site was lost during the American Revolution. In 1828, Harvard alumni erected a monument to him in a cemetery in Charlestown.