Trivia: Harvard & MIT almost merged in 1904/1905

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p><a href="http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/exhibits/harvard-mit/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/exhibits/harvard-mit/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Quote:
"Henry S. Pritchett (MIT’s President, 1900-1909) and Charles W. Eliot (Harvard’s President, 1869-1909) attempted in 1904 and 1905 to negotiate a merger between their respective institutions despite rampant resistance from MIT alumni and faculty. Under the terms of the proposed plan MIT would have retained its name and charter, but would have become in effect the engineering school of Harvard University, replacing Harvard’s Lawrence Scientific School and absorbing its faculty."</p>

<p>It was blocked primarily by MIT alumni who knew that MIT would merely become Harvard's School of Engineering and eventually lose most of its own individual identity.</p>

<p>If they had merged, the new institution would probably have been the world's first super-university.</p>

2

<p>this would have been cool</p>

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<p>and now we know why Harvard doesn't have a strong engineering department..... if you want to be an engineer, you go to MIT</p>

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<p>Harvard is better at soft tech</p>

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<p>who cares its harvard. Seriously an Engineer from Harvard, other things equal, would get the job over the MIT grad. Oh btw, Harvard is the world's super university</p>

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<p>dha_06...</p>

<p>I'm a Harvard grad, and what you just wrote is nonsense.
For engineering jobs, MIT grads clearly have a incredibly huge advantage.</p>

<p>That said, Harvard is now investing billions to improve engineering as they expand the campus across the Charles River and into Allston.
Harvard's endowment is almost twice its nearest rival (Yale) and more than 4 times larger than MIT... so if Harvard is serious about investing the resources, it can rapidly improve in the coming decades.</p>

<p>I posted the story because I think it explains why Harvard has been slow to build up engineering in the past... they figured "why bother", with MIT so close... but that is finally changing.</p>

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<p>Oh come now. A real harvard grad wouldnt say that would he? (Im not saying your not, im claiming your unloyal to your school).</p>

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<p>dha:</p>

<p>I recently talked to a research professor from Harvard (family friend). I was deciding between MIT and Yale and was asking for his advice. He said if it was coming to engineering or applied science, he wouldn't hesitate for a minute to chose MIT even before Harvard. When he picks up grad students for his research (physics/bioengineering), he disproportianately picks up MIT grads.</p>

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<p>If they did merge, MIT/HARVARD would indeed have become the premier facility on the face of this earth from that time until maybe into the next 4 or 5 decades. I mean goodness gracious they would have had an endowment in the 30 billion area. Boston would have become the IT town for schooling. Seriously MIT-HARVARD may have eaten up Boston University as well. They would take like 4,000 freshman, all the 1600 and 4.0 and stellar EC kids in america. Best in Science, and Humanities. What else could you ever what more than that.</p>

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<p>Then Harvard might also take over the ugliest cheerleading squad.</p>

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<p>OW that comment was harsh lol</p>

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<p>harsh, yet so so funny!!</p>