Pictured on U.S. #871, Charles Eliot’s tenure at Harvard University saw it transformed into a premiere research institution. Eliot spent two years in Europe studying all aspects of education systems there. He was particularly impressed with the use of research at universities by German businesses.
In 1869, Eliot published an article in “The Atlantic Monthly” called “The New Education.” He wrote, “We are fighting a wilderness, physical and moral. For this fight we must be well trained and armed.” That same year Eliot became the youngest president of Harvard, at age 35. He served as president for 40 years, reforming the university and empowering Harvard’s rise to the forefront of American institutions.