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Harvard University

Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. This premier educational and cultural institution was established in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and named after its first benefactor, John Harvard, a young minister of Charlestown. Shortly after World War II broke out, training for combat chaplains was moved to Harvard. Given the urgency of the war situation, the number of students was increased from 75 to 450, and the sessions were lengthened to six weeks, with additional training available following graduation as needed. A parallel course was offered for enlisted personnel who wished to serve as chaplain's assistants. The university is governed by two boards – the Harvard Corporation (known formally as the President and Fellows of Harvard College) and the Board of Overseers. It includes an undergraduate college, graduate schools, academic bodies, research centers, and affiliated institutions. The ten academic venues are located in the Boston and Cambridge area of Massachusetts. The faculty of Arts and Sciences (Harvard College, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Division of Continuing Education), Business School, Design School, Divinity School, Graduate School of Education, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Law School, Faculty of Medicine (Medical School, School of Dental Medicine), School of Public Health, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study are included. A popular tourist destination in the Greater Boston area, Harvard University is noted for its architecture. Johnson Gate, the first and the oldest gate, was built into the fence enclosing Harvard Yard. Harvard Hall, near the gate, houses classrooms and several large lecture halls. The Old Yard is filled with historic landmarks which include Massachusetts Hall, University Hall, and the yellow clapboard-covered Wadsworth House (an antique wooden structure). Also known as Tercentenary Theatre, the New Yard houses Widener Memorial Library (the hub of Harvard's library system), Memorial Church, and the Sever Hall. Barker Center includes academic departments and units, Warren House, and the old Varsity Club building. University Hall separates the New Yard from the Old. Carpenter Center for Visual Arts is the only building on the North American continent designed by the French architect Le Corbusier. Designed by Josep Lluis Sert, a former dean of the Graduate School of Design, the Science Center includes Peabody Terrace, Holyoke Center, and the Center for the Study of World Religions. There are several administrative offices, as well as the University Health Services inside the Holyoke Center. The Events and Information Center, located on the ground floor of Holyoke, is the starting point for university tours. Harvard University Library, also founded in 1638, is the oldest library in the United States and the largest academic library in the world. Other libraries include Lamont Library, the main undergraduate library for the humanities and social sciences, Houghton Library, and the underground Pusey Library. Harvard Forest serves as a base for research and education in forest biology. Also, Harvard Museum of Natural History (HMNH), Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Busch-Reisinger Museum, Fogg Art Museum, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, and Arnold Arboretum (the nation's oldest arboretum) are worth visiting.