Pres. Announced Expulsion

Expulsion was not merely a matter of telling a student to get out: "The Entire college was assembled in hall, the President announced the crime and the Corporation's sentence," and the expelled member's name was formally cut out of a list of the students. Often, however, if the culprit made a public confession, and convinced the Faculty that he had repented, he was reinstated. There are a few instances in which students expelled for fornication or other "atrocious" crimes, were readmitted a year later. One even became a minister.

Butter--Rebellion

The first recorded College rebellion, The Rebellion of 1766, was over bad butter at Commons. The students' leader was Asa Dunbar '67, grandfather of Henry Thoreau. On complaining to Tutor Belcher Hancock, Dunbar's demands were not met and he was condemned by the Faculty to be degraded in seniority and to confess his sin. The students then walked out of the hall at the next breakfast before "giving thanks," raised three cheers in the Yard and breakfasted in town. The whole incident is summed up in "The Book of Harvard," written by an undergraduate:

Chapter 1st:

1. And it came to pass in the ninth Month on the 23d Day of the Month the Sons of Harvard murmured and said,

2. Behold! bad and unwholesome Butter is served out to us daily, now therefore let us depute Asa, the Scribe, to go unto our rulers to seek Redress.

3. Then rose Asa, the Scribe, and went unto Belcher (Hancock) the Ruler & said, behold our Butter stinketh and we cannot eat thereof; now give us, we pray thee Butter that stinketh not."

The request was turned down by Hancock and upon Asa's reporting the bad news to his fellow students, 5.... the Sons of Harvard clapped their hands & hissed and cried aha! aha!"

All Confess

In the end, of course, everyone involved in the incident confessed and,

"So after this there were no Murmurings in Harvard, but all was Peace and Quietness as it is to this Day,   Cambridge Nov. 19, 1776"

Shortest-lived among the clubs in Harvard history was a "Society to Discourage the Perpetration of Crimes," formed in 1793. One of the few records pertaining to the virtuous club was a resolution passed by the Corporation on December 18, 1793:

"It appearing that a large number of the students had voluntarily associated to discourage the perpetation of crimes,

Voted that this Corporation highly approves of so virtuous and laudable a measure: and that ... such conduct merits & will obtain the approbation and applause of every well wisher to the reputation of the University..."