Where is the John Harvard Statue?

The statue of John Harvard, sculpted by Daniel Chester French in 1884, sits on the west side of University Hall, the large sandstone-colored building on the left as you exit the front entrance of Widener Library. You can search for University Hall on the Harvard University Map .

Incidentally, the famous statue is nicknamed "the statue of three lies."  First, the inscription on the statue reads, "John Harvard, Founder, 1638," but John Harvard did not found Harvard, nor did he attend the college.  Rather, he was the first major benefactor who bequeathed half of his estate and his library of over 400 volumes to the college.  Second, the university was officially founded in 1636, not 1638.  Last, the person depicted in the statue is not actually John Harvard; the model was a student named Sherman Hoar.

If you have additional questions, please contact the Harvard University Archives.

 

 

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