Celebrating 375 Years of Harvard College
The fall 2011 marked the start of a year-long celebration of the 375th anniversary of Harvard College and in honor of this anniversary, the Club gave an – in many ways – historical gift to the HAA: A 1663 letter from Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck (AB 1665) to the English "honored benefactors" who supported his education and the mission of the Harvard Indian College. Mr. Cheeshahteaumuck, a Wampanoag youth from Noepe, today known as Martha’s Vineyard, was the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. He studied under the Harvard University Charter of 1650, which to this day calls for the "…education of English and Indian youth in knowledge and godliness…" In the letter, which is written in Latin, Mr. Cheeshahteaumuck shows gratitude towards his sponsors for funding his education. As a gift to the HAA, the letter shows that Harvard has a long standing transatlantic/international history and commitment to diversity.
32 Harvard alumni, students staff, and faculty attended the October 12, 2011 ceremony at the Harvard Alumni Association where Mr. Cheeshahteaumuck’s letter was gifted. Of the 32 participants, three Swedish students and one Swedish alumnus attended the event. The ceremony included elements of English and Wampanoag linguistic, spiritual, and musical traditions. In addition to the Harvard Club of Sweden and the Harvard Alumni Association, partners in organizing the ceremony included members from the Harvard Club of UK, the Harvard College student body, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Mashpee Wampanoag Elders Council, and the Native American Alumni at Harvard University.
See the pictures from the ceremony
To give a further historical angle to the Club’s gift, it is appropriate to add that at Commencement in May, Drew Faust awarded Joel Iacoomes (one of Mr. Cheeshahteaumuck’s Wampanoag classmates) a posthumous degree. When announcing the posthumous degree, President Faust stated the following, "It is fitting that we honor Joel Iacoomes as Harvard marks the 375th anniversary of its founding. With the presentation of this degree, we also recognize some of the commitments that were fundamental to the founding of Harvard: a commitment to a diversity of students, a commitment to the communities in which the College was founded, and a commitment to the power of education to transform lives."