SUMMER

The search for Harvard’s 27th president officially kicks off, as the Harvard Corporation names the nine-member search committee. As in past presidential searches, the group does not include faculty or students, though members do consult the greater Harvard community through letters and meetings.

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority approves the sale of 48 acres of Allston land to Harvard for $151 million in July, opening the way for future University development across the Charles River. Located south of the Harvard Business School campus, the property known as Allston Landing North had been coveted by the University for years.

Cambridge Riverside residents gains support for an 18-month development moratorium for their area, which includes the site occupied by Mahoney’s Garden Center on Memorial Drive that Harvard hopes to turn into a modern art museum.

SEPTEMBER

A Yard vigil is held to protest two violent incidents against Harvard students, which are later classified as hate crimes. A 25-year-old homeless man is charged in one of the attacks.

Shrewd investing, the Internet economy and a strong commodities market combine to create a record $4.8 billion surge in Harvard’s coffers, bringing the endowment to more than $19 billion.

OCTOBER

Vice President Al Gore ’69 and Texas Gov. George W. Bush debate at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Ralph Nader speaks at the Institute of Politics and protests his exclusion from the event at UMass.

The University releases an internal investigation of the worldwide college apparel manufacturing industry, finding conditions bleak for workers.

NOVEMBER

Members of the Class of 2003 vote in their first-ever presidential election, one that ends in an impasse. Thirty-six days later, after hearing more about aging Florida voters, chads and the intricacies of judicial voting processes than should ever be desired, Gore finally concedes the election to Bush, a graduate of the Harvard Business School.

DECEMBER

Institute of Politics Director David H. Pryor dissolves the IOP’s 30-member student governing body without prior notice, saying the old leadership was too exclusive.

Shira Palmer-Sherman ’02 is hit by a car in the Square, dying later in the month from her injuries. Hundreds of mourners attend a memorial service for her two months later.