Harvard University as students, faculty, or researchers. In addition, Harvard students and alumni have won 10 Academy Awards, 48 Pulitzer Prizes, and 108 Olympic medals (46 gold, 41 silver and 21 bronze). Harvard was established in 1636 by vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1638, it acquired British North America's first known printing press. In 1639, it was named "Harvard College" after deceased clergyman John Harvard, an alumnus of the University of Cambridge, who had left the school £779 and his scholar's library of some 400 volumes. The charter creating the Harvard Corporation was granted
Heraldry of Harvard University Heraldry of Harvard University Harvard University adopted an official seal soon after it was founded in 1636 and named "Harvard College" in 1638; a variant is still used. Each school within the university (Harvard College, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Law School, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, etc.) has its own distinctive shield as well, as do many other internal administrative units such as the Harvard College residential "Houses" and the Harvard Library. Many extracurricular organizationssuch as clubs, societies and athletic teamshave their own shield as well, often based on the coat of arms of Harvard itself. The Harvard University