How does this newly-revealed information help us solve our terrible conundrum?

Using the U.S. CPI, $6,000,000 in 1924 has the same purchasing power as $52,333,955.39 in 1995. We must note, however, that critics of the CPI argue that it overstates inflation. Considering the overwhelming importance of our calculations, we must understand the error that accompanies them.

Is $52 million enough? Certainly not. If Princeton turned it down, it is unlikely that Harvard would accept. According to the U.S. News rankings, Harvard is inferior to Princeton. Taking this into account, we maintain that although $52 million is certainly not enough, we might not demand as much as the Tigers.

Putting it in Perspective

To fully understand the issue, we must elucidate the large sums of money of which we speak.

To make this as clear as possible, the CICHPA has, of course, referenced these figures to the Gross Domestic Product of various small countries.

The total GDPs of Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia combine to yield little more than 75 percent of the current endowment.

The Barker Center for the Humanities was named for Robert Barker after a donation of $25 million. Fewer than 40 comparable buildings can be named using the entire GDP of Mozambique.

The endowment is a large sum of money. One must certainly account for the considerable wealth of the University when making such important judgments.

Another Crack At It

How much would the University lose by changing its name?

Harvard counts on its name-recognition when fundraising. Without the name, it is likely that many of these donations would soon dry up.

These donations are certainly not insignificant. Averaging almost $400 million in gifts each year, Harvard is one of the largest non-profit fund-raisers in the nation.

To change the University's name, the interest on a renaming gift must at least cover the loss in donations each year.

Assuming an average annual return of 5 percent, a gift of $8 billion should cover all losses in annual donations to the University.