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Sunset Over Johnston Gate

Ten Stories That Shaped 2024

At Harvard, 2024 began with an ending — the chaotic close of Claudine Gay’s short-lived presidency. It would not be a quiet year. Pro-Palestine student protesters staged an encampment in Harvard Yard. Congress expanded its investigation into campus antisemitism, issuing threats alongside blistering reports. Amid it all, Alan M. Garber ’76 quietly ascended from the interim presidency to a permanent post at Harvard’s helm. Here, The Crimson looks back at 10 stories that shaped the University, and Cambridge, in 2024.

Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School

Share of Black Harvard Law Students Drops in First Class After Affirmative Action Ruling

The share of Black students enrolled in Harvard Law’s J.D. Class of 2027 fell by more than 4 percent compared to the previous year, according to enrollment data released by the school on Monday.

John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston
Admissions

Judge Dismisses Part of Harvard’s Lawsuit to Recoup Millions in Legal Fees

A federal judge agreed to dismiss two counts in a lawsuit filed by Harvard against insurance broker Marsh USA, according to a Thursday court filing.

Harvard Yard from Above
College

In Year of Crisis, Harvard Admissions Has Resilient Showing

Harvard emerged mostly unscathed from its first application cycle since the fall of affirmative action, silencing critics who speculated the University’s recent controversies would deter students from applying to the College.

William R. Fitzsimmons '67
College

After Fall Turmoil, Harvard Admissions Dean Says He Is Happy With Application Numbers

After Harvard was rocked by nonstop controversy last semester, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said his office was heartened to see that application numbers remained consistent.

Moakley Courthouse
Admissions

Marsh USA Files to Dismiss Harvard Lawsuit Regarding SFFA Legal Fees

Insurance broker Marsh USA asked the federal District Court of Massachusetts to dismiss its liability for up to $15 million in legal fees, according to filings made last month.

Harvard Yard University Hall

Ten Stories That Shaped 2023

In 2023, Harvard had a tumultuous year. Claudine Gay’s first semester ended amid a leadership crisis as she came under fire for her response to tensions on a campus divided by the Israel-Hamas war and faced allegations of plagiarism. Harvard’s legacy and donor preferences in admissions also faced national scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling striking down the University’s affirmative action policy. Across campus, scandal after scandal hit parts of the University. Here, The Crimson looks back at the 10 stories that shaped 2023 at Harvard.

Moakley Courthouse
College

Harvard Will Have to Cover Own Legal Fees From Anti-Affirmative Action Case, First Circuit Rules

A month after the Supreme Court ruled against Harvard and effectively struck down affirmative action in higher education admissions, the University was dealt another legal blow — this time, to its pocketbook.

Harvard Students at Affirmative Action Rally in Yard
College

‘This Is What Diversity Looks Like’: Harvard Students Rally in Support of Affirmative Action After Supreme Court Ruling

Harvard students and onlookers rallied in support of affirmative action Saturday afternoon following the Supreme Court’s decision severely restricting the consideration of race in higher education admissions.

John Harvard Statue
FAS

A ‘Huge Blow’: Harvard Faculty Dismayed With Affirmative Action Ruling

Several Harvard faculty members said they were disappointed — though not surprised — in the hours following the Supreme Court’s Thursday decision to dramatically restrict affirmative action.

SCOTUS
Admissions

Inside the Decision: Here’s What the Supreme Court Said About Affirmative Action

The Supreme Court ruled against Harvard and the University of North Carolina in a landmark decision Thursday morning, radically restricting the consideration of race in college admissions.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson '92 1
College

In Fiery Dissents, Justices Sotomayor and Jackson Rebuke Affirmative Action Ruling

Supreme Court Associate Justices Sonia M. Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson ’92 fiercely dissented from the Supreme Court’s decision to dramatically limit the use of race in college admissions Thursday.

‘I Go to Harvard’ Sign
College

‘A Gut Punch’: Harvard Students Condemn Supreme Court Decision Striking Down Affirmative Action

Harvard students widely condemned the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to sharply restrict the consideration of race in college admissions, expressing fear and sadness that the ruling is likely to reduce racial diversity at the school.

SFFA Founder Edward J. Blum
College

Students for Fair Admissions, Allies Celebrate End of Affirmative Action

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling severely restricting affirmative action in higher education admissions, anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions praised the Court’s decision at a press conference in Washington Thursday afternoon.

Members of the Public Enter Supreme Court
Race

In Concurrences to Supreme Court Ruling, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh Question Benefits of Affirmative Action

Concurrences in Thursday’s Supreme Court decision, which restricted affirmative action in college admissions, further challenged the legal foundations and impacts of race-conscious admissions.

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