Harvard College Observatory Harvard College Observatory The Harvard College Observatory (HCO) is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and was founded in 1839. With the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, it forms part of the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. HCO houses a collection of approximately 500,000 astronomical plates taken between the mid-1880s and 1989 (with a gap from 1953–68). This 100-year coverage is a unique resource for studying temporal variations in the universe. The Digital Access to a Sky Century @ Harvard project
Harvard University endowment was linked to George W. Bush's so-called Harken Energy scandal. Specifically, Michael R. Eisenson, who would later found private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners was the Harvard representative on the Harken Energy board when Harvard made a $30 million investment into the ill-fated oil company venture. At the time, employees were accused of improperly investing their own money into Harken but Harvard deemed those investments appropriate. Harvard University endowment Harvard University's endowment (valued at $37.1 billion ) is the largest academic endowment in the world. Along with Harvard's pension assets, working capital, and non-cash gifts, it is managed by Harvard