Depicting the evolution of twentieth-century Harvard in the broader context of national and world events, Harvard Observed has much to say and show about the academic rites, intellectual arguments, sexual mores, fads, and folklore that became touchstones for successive generations of Harvardians. Photographs, drawings, and paintings from the University's vast archival collections and museums add a compelling visual dimension.

John T. Bethell is the Senior Editor of The American Scholar and a contributing editor at Harvard Magazine, where he was editor from 1966 to 1995.

Read More by John T. Bethell:

• Harvard A to Z