Dunster House

Dunster House was built in 1930, and is one of the first two Harvard University dormitories constructed under President Abbott Lawrence Lowell's House Plan, and one of the seven Houses given to Harvard by Edward Harkness. The House was named in honor of Henry Dunster, a "learned, conscionable and industrious man," who became the first President of Harvard University, and was appointed to the Harvard presidency at the age of thirty-one, immediately after his arrival in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1640. He held the office during the early "troublous" years of the Colony, and left the College in 1654 after it had become a well-established institution.

Related Topics:
Harvard University - Abbott Lawrence Lowell - Edward Harkness - Henry Dunster - President of Harvard University - Massachusetts Bay Colony

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The tower of Dunster House is inspired by, but somewhat smaller than, the famous Big Tom Tower of Christ Church, Oxford. Above the east wing is the Dunster family coat of arms.

Related Topics:
Big Tom Tower - Christ Church, Oxford - Coat of arms

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Dunster is located on the banks of the Charles River, next to the Weeks Footbridge, which links Harvard's Allston and Cambridge campuses. Legend has it that seniors traditionally jump from the footbridge the night before commencement.

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Dunster, like many of the Harvard Houses, has many yearly traditions, including The Messiah sing-a-long in the winter, the goat roast in the spring, the keg races in the fall, and the yearly Dunster House Opera

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Dunster's current Masters are Roger Porter, who served in the White House during the administrations of both Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and Ann Porter. The House's first master was Chester N. Greenough (Harvard '98), English Professor and former Dean of Harvard College.

Related Topics:
Roger Porter - Ronald Reagan - George H. W. Bush - Chester N. Greenough

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Dunster also recently renovated their dining hall, making it one of the best places to eat at Harvard College.

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Famous inhabitants of Dunster House have included Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones, who were roommates there in the late 1960s. Other notable Dunster alumni include Darren Aronofsky, Christopher Durang, Susan Faludi, Jimmie Joseph Johnson, Al Franken, David Halberstam, Junior Shabadu, Norman Mailer, Erich Segal and Caspar Weinberger.

Related Topics:
Al Gore - Tommy Lee Jones - 1960s - Darren Aronofsky - Christopher Durang - Susan Faludi - Jimmie Joseph Johnson - Al Franken - David Halberstam - Junior Shabadu - Norman Mailer - Erich Segal - Caspar Weinberger

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Dunster's mascot is the moose, inspired by the three golden elk on the Dunster family crest.

Related Topics:
Moose - Elk - Family crest

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