Holworthy Hall
Encyclopedia
Holworthy Hall is one of the dormitories housing first-year students at Harvard College
. Housing 85 students, it is located in Harvard Yard
and borders Kirkland Street. It is the closest dorm to the Harvard Science Center
and the second-closest dormitory to Memorial Hall
, which houses the freshman dining hall
, Annenberg. Throughout its first century of existence, it was considered the finest dormitory on Harvard Yard and the most desirable in terms of the physical accommodations it offered.
Holworthy is part of the Ivy Yard grouping of freshman dorms at Harvard, along with Apley Court, Hollis Hall, Lionel Hall, Massachusetts Hall, Mower Hall, Stoughton Hall, and Straus Hall.
s connected by a 10-foot-long hallway and a shared bathroom. Each suite features a large common room, with two double bedrooms. While some residents choose to close the hallway doors, many leave the bathroom hallway open, creating an eight person "mega-suite," unmatched by other freshman housing. Each bathroom contains two sinks, two toilets, and two showers. The bathroom itself has no windows, but the lighting is bright.
merchant, Sir Matthew Holworthy, who died in 1678 having bequeathed £1,000 to Harvard — then the largest donation in the college's history — "for the promotion of learning and the promulgation of the Gospel" in Cambridge
. When it opened on August 18, 1812, then-President John Thornton Kirkland
of Harvard referred to it as "Holworthy College." It did not have indoor plumbing; for almost a century, students had to go outside to use the college's pump. Rent was $26 per year.
The dorm was originally used for all classes, as evidenced by famous residents like Thomas Bulfinch
and Horatio Alger being housed in it multiple times, but was predominantly used for housing seniors during its early existence. By the turn of the 20th century, the senior classes expressed a desire to formally make the oldest Yard buildings — first Holworthy, then Hollis and Stoughton — their own and petitioned the college administration to make Holworthy a senior-only dormitory. By the hundredth anniversary of the dorm in 1912, about 1,300 men had lived in Holworthy.
By 1904, Holworthy was fully a senior dorm. Although it was not considered as fashionable as some of the newer dorms, Holworthy and its neighbors on the Yard became the center of student life on campus. It also became known for housing many of the most prominent students within the college's social life, including athletic team captains and managers, Lampoon
presidents (including Robert Benchley
'12, who spoke at Holworthy's centennial dinner), Advocate presidents, and the leaders of the college's various musical groups. By the 1910s, the New York Times reported that Holworthy's "record of men afterward illustrious who have occupied its rooms is probably longer than any similar list possessed by any other college building," making it the "pet" dorm of seniors.
Due to its becoming a freshman dorm, Holworthy was not part of the Harvard–Yale sister colleges arrangement until 2005, when additional affiliations between Harvard's freshman dormitories — which are not otherwise formally affiliated with Harvard's residential houses — and Yale University
's residential colleges were established. Holworthy was joined with Hollis Hall to become part of Winthrop House
's pairing with Davenport College
at Yale. The arrangement is not considered permanent and may be changed in the future.
, then the Prince of Wales
, visited Room 12 while on a visit to Harvard. The occupants at the time were Joseph Howe Wales and the geologist Samuel Franklin Emmons
, both Class of 1861. The same room was visited by Grand Duke Alexis
in 1871; the occupants were James Wade Gaff and Walker Hartwell, both Class of 1875.
Until 1860, Room 24 served as the library of Harvard's chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society
and also housed the librarian, who kept the chapter's several hundred books in his study closet.
Holworthy is notable for having been the freshman dorm of several writers and producers of the The Simpsons
who graduated in the 1980s — Al Jean
'81, Bill Oakley
'88, Conan O'Brien
'85, and Mike Reiss
'81. O'Brien referenced his time in Holworthy during his Class Day speech to the Harvard Class of 2000.
Holworthy is also commonly reported to be the former residence of Al Gore
'69 and Tommy Lee Jones
'69, though they actually lived in Mower Hall.
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
. Housing 85 students, it is located in Harvard Yard
Harvard Yard
Harvard Yard is a grassy area of about , adjacent to Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that constitutes the oldest part and the center of the campus of Harvard University...
and borders Kirkland Street. It is the closest dorm to the Harvard Science Center
Harvard Science Center
The Harvard University Science Center is the major teaching venue on Harvard University campus for undergraduate science and mathematics.The Science Center was designed by Catalan architect Josep Lluís Sert, then dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and built in 1973...
and the second-closest dormitory to Memorial Hall
Memorial Hall (Harvard University)
Memorial Hall is an imposing brick building in High Victorian Gothic style, located on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts...
, which houses the freshman dining hall
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
, Annenberg. Throughout its first century of existence, it was considered the finest dormitory on Harvard Yard and the most desirable in terms of the physical accommodations it offered.
Holworthy is part of the Ivy Yard grouping of freshman dorms at Harvard, along with Apley Court, Hollis Hall, Lionel Hall, Massachusetts Hall, Mower Hall, Stoughton Hall, and Straus Hall.
Floorplan
Holworthy's floorplan is unique among Harvard dormitories. On each floor of three entryways — Holworthy East, Middle and West — there are two suiteSuite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s connected by a 10-foot-long hallway and a shared bathroom. Each suite features a large common room, with two double bedrooms. While some residents choose to close the hallway doors, many leave the bathroom hallway open, creating an eight person "mega-suite," unmatched by other freshman housing. Each bathroom contains two sinks, two toilets, and two showers. The bathroom itself has no windows, but the lighting is bright.
History
Holworthy was founded in 1812 in honor of a wealthy EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
merchant, Sir Matthew Holworthy, who died in 1678 having bequeathed £1,000 to Harvard — then the largest donation in the college's history — "for the promotion of learning and the promulgation of the Gospel" in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. When it opened on August 18, 1812, then-President John Thornton Kirkland
John Thornton Kirkland
John Thornton Kirkland served as President of Harvard University from 1810 to 1828. A religious minister like many of his predecessors, he is remembered chiefly for his lenient treatment of students...
of Harvard referred to it as "Holworthy College." It did not have indoor plumbing; for almost a century, students had to go outside to use the college's pump. Rent was $26 per year.
The dorm was originally used for all classes, as evidenced by famous residents like Thomas Bulfinch
Thomas Bulfinch
Thomas Bulfinch was an American writer, born in Newton, Massachusetts. Bulfinch belonged to a well educated Bostonian merchant family of modest means. His father was Charles Bulfinch, the architect of the Massachusetts State House in Boston and parts of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and Horatio Alger being housed in it multiple times, but was predominantly used for housing seniors during its early existence. By the turn of the 20th century, the senior classes expressed a desire to formally make the oldest Yard buildings — first Holworthy, then Hollis and Stoughton — their own and petitioned the college administration to make Holworthy a senior-only dormitory. By the hundredth anniversary of the dorm in 1912, about 1,300 men had lived in Holworthy.
By 1904, Holworthy was fully a senior dorm. Although it was not considered as fashionable as some of the newer dorms, Holworthy and its neighbors on the Yard became the center of student life on campus. It also became known for housing many of the most prominent students within the college's social life, including athletic team captains and managers, Lampoon
Harvard Lampoon
The Harvard Lampoon is an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.-Overview:Published since 1876, The Harvard Lampoon is the world's longest continually published humor magazine. It is also the second longest-running English-language humor...
presidents (including Robert Benchley
Robert Benchley
Robert Charles Benchley was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor...
'12, who spoke at Holworthy's centennial dinner), Advocate presidents, and the leaders of the college's various musical groups. By the 1910s, the New York Times reported that Holworthy's "record of men afterward illustrious who have occupied its rooms is probably longer than any similar list possessed by any other college building," making it the "pet" dorm of seniors.
Due to its becoming a freshman dorm, Holworthy was not part of the Harvard–Yale sister colleges arrangement until 2005, when additional affiliations between Harvard's freshman dormitories — which are not otherwise formally affiliated with Harvard's residential houses — and Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
's residential colleges were established. Holworthy was joined with Hollis Hall to become part of Winthrop House
Winthrop House
John Winthrop House is one of twelve undergraduate residences at Harvard College and home to slightly under 400 students.Commonly referred to as Winthrop House, it consists of two buildings, Standish Hall and Gore Hall. Both were built in 1912 as separate freshman dormitories...
's pairing with Davenport College
Davenport College
Davenport College is one of the twelve residential colleges of Yale University. Its buildings were completed in 1933 mainly in the Georgian style but with a gothic façade. The college was named for John Davenport, who founded Yale's home city of New Haven, Connecticut...
at Yale. The arrangement is not considered permanent and may be changed in the future.
Trivia
In 1860, Edward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, then the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, visited Room 12 while on a visit to Harvard. The occupants at the time were Joseph Howe Wales and the geologist Samuel Franklin Emmons
Samuel Franklin Emmons
Samuel Franklin Emmons was an American Geologist. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard University in 1861 and studied at the Ecole des Mines in Paris, France from 1862–1864 and at the Frieberg mining school from 1865-1865. In May 1867, he was appointed assistant...
, both Class of 1861. The same room was visited by Grand Duke Alexis
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia was the sixth child and the fourth son of Alexander II of Russia and his first wife Maria Alexandrovna . Destined to a naval career, Alexei Alexandrovich started his military training at the age of 7...
in 1871; the occupants were James Wade Gaff and Walker Hartwell, both Class of 1875.
Until 1860, Room 24 served as the library of Harvard's chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society
Phi Beta Kappa Society
The Phi Beta Kappa Society is an academic honor society. Its mission is to "celebrate and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences"; and induct "the most outstanding students of arts and sciences at America’s leading colleges and universities." Founded at The College of William and...
and also housed the librarian, who kept the chapter's several hundred books in his study closet.
Holworthy is notable for having been the freshman dorm of several writers and producers of the The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
who graduated in the 1980s — Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
'81, Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at high school; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon...
'88, Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
'85, and Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss
Michael "Mike" Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic...
'81. O'Brien referenced his time in Holworthy during his Class Day speech to the Harvard Class of 2000.
Past residents
- Henry Adams, journalist and novelist, Room 05
- James Barr AmesJames Barr AmesJames Barr Ames was a American law educator, who popularized the "case-study" method of teaching law developed by Christopher Columbus Langdell. Ames insisted that legal education should require the study of actual cases instead of abstract principles of law...
, former Harvard Law SchoolHarvard Law SchoolHarvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
dean, Rooms 14 and 20 - Horatio Alger, novelist, Rooms 07, 18, and 24
- George BancroftGeorge BancroftGeorge Bancroft was an American historian and statesman who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state and at the national level. During his tenure as U.S. Secretary of the Navy, he established the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1845...
, statesman and historian, Room 24 - Robert BenchleyRobert BenchleyRobert Charles Benchley was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor...
, humorist and actor, Room 23 - Thomas BulfinchThomas BulfinchThomas Bulfinch was an American writer, born in Newton, Massachusetts. Bulfinch belonged to a well educated Bostonian merchant family of modest means. His father was Charles Bulfinch, the architect of the Massachusetts State House in Boston and parts of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, writer and mythographer, Rooms 09 and 16 - Joseph Hodges ChoateJoseph Hodges ChoateJoseph Hodges Choate , was an American lawyer and diplomat.-Biography:He was born in Salem, Massachusetts on January 24, 1832. He was the son of physician George Choate and the brother of George C. S. Choate. His father's first cousin was Rufus Choate...
, lawyer and diplomat, Room 21 - William Gardner ChoateWilliam Gardner ChoateWilliam Gardner Choate was a United States federal judge.Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Choate received an A.B. from Harvard University in 1852 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1854...
, judge and Choate SchoolChoate Rosemary HallChoate Rosemary Hall is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school located in Wallingford, Connecticut...
founder, Room 21 - Adam ClymerAdam ClymerAdam Clymer is an American journalist.-Career:He was with The New York Times from 1977 until July, 2003, and served as its national political correspondent for the 1980 presidential election, polling editor from 1983 to 1990, political editor for George H. W...
, journalist, Room 18 - Richard Henry Dana, Jr.Richard Henry Dana, Jr.Richard Henry Dana Jr. was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts, a descendant of an eminent colonial family who gained renown as the author of the American classic, the memoir Two Years Before the Mast...
, lawyer and politician, Room 13 - Charles William EliotCharles William EliotCharles William Eliot was an American academic who was selected as Harvard's president in 1869. He transformed the provincial college into the preeminent American research university...
, former Harvard president, Room 11 - Robert GrantRobert Grant (novelist)Robert Grant was an American author and a jurist who participated in a review of the Sacco and Vanzetti trial a few weeks before their executions.-Biography:...
, novelist, Room 9 - Christian HerterChristian HerterChristian Archibald Herter was an American politician and statesman; 59th governor of Massachusetts from 1953 to 1957, and United States Secretary of State from 1959 to 1961.-Early life:...
, politician, Room 15 - David HalberstamDavid HalberstamDavid Halberstam was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and historian, known for his early work on the Vietnam War, his work on politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and his later sports journalism.-Early life and education:Halberstam...
, journalist, Room 19 - Steve HelySteve HelySteve Hely is an American writer.Hely has written for the television shows Late Show with David Letterman ; Last Call with Carson Daly, where he also served as an associate producer; American Dad; and 30 Rock...
, television writer, Room 21 - Al JeanAl JeanAl Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
, television writer and producer, Room 17 - Samuel LongfellowSamuel LongfellowSamuel Longfellow was an American clergyman and hymn writer.-Biography:Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine to Stephen and Zilpah Longfellow; he is the younger brother of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...
, clergyman, Room 14 - Percival LowellPercival LowellPercival Lawrence Lowell was a businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars, founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death...
, astronomer and businessman, Room 21 - Edward S. Martin, Lampoon co-founder and LifeLife (magazine)Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
founder, Room 4 - James MurdochJames Murdoch (media executive)James Rupert Jacob Murdoch is the younger son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and currently serves as chairman and chief executive of News Corporation, Europe, and Asia, overseeing assets such as News International , SKY Italia , Sky Deutschland, and STAR TV .He sits on the News...
, media executive, Room 07 - B. J. NovakB. J. NovakBenjamin Joseph Manaly “B. J.” Novak is an American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for being a writer and co-executive producer for and playing the role of Ryan Howard on the US version of The Office, as well as appearing in Inglourious Basterds...
, actor and television writer, Room 10 - Bill OakleyBill OakleyBill Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at high school; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon...
, television writer and producer, Room 15 - Conan O'BrienConan O'BrienConan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
, talk show host and comedy writer, Room 16 - Deval PatrickDeval PatrickDeval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
, politician - Wendell PhillipsWendell PhillipsWendell Phillips was an American abolitionist, advocate for Native Americans, and orator. He was an exceptional orator and agitator, advocate and lawyer, writer and debater.-Education:...
, abolitionist and orator, Room 24 - Josiah Quincy, Jr.Josiah Quincy, Jr.Josiah Quincy, Jr. was mayor of Boston , as was his father Josiah Quincy III and grandson Josiah Quincy . He was the author of Figures in the Past . As a member of the Massachusetts State Legislature in 1837, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Massachusetts Board of Education...
, politician, Room 7 - Mike ReissMike ReissMichael "Mike" Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic...
, television writer and producer, Room 20 - William E. RussellWilliam Russell (governor)William Eustis Russell was a U.S. political figure. He served as the 37th Governor of Massachusetts between 1891 and 1894, becoming the state's youngest ever elected Governor at age 34.-Family:...
, politician, Room 7 - Steven V. RobertsSteven V. RobertsSteven V. Roberts is an American journalist, writer, political commentator.Roberts grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey and graduated from Bayonne High School. He attended Harvard where he served as editor of the student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson. After graduating with a B.A...
, journalist, Room 14 - Charles SumnerCharles SumnerCharles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
, politician, Room 23 - Luis UbiñasLuis UbiñasLuis Antonio Ubiñas is the ninth president of the Ford Foundation. He became president in 2008.In his career Ubiñas has worked for both for-profit and non-profit organizations...
, Ford FoundationFord FoundationThe Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
president, Room 16 - Cornel WestCornel WestCornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America....
, philosopher and activist, Room 08 - Robert WrennRobert Wrenn----Robert "Bob" Duffield Wrenn was a left-handed American tennis player, four-time U.S. singles championship winner, and one of the first "enshrinees" in the International Tennis Hall of Fame....
, Hall of Fame tennis player, Room 3 - Jeffrey Zucker, media executive, Room 07
Holworthy is also commonly reported to be the former residence of Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
'69 and Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones
Tommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
'69, though they actually lived in Mower Hall.