I had the privilege of visiting the world famous statue of John Harvard in the Harvard University courtyard. The inscription on it states: “John Harvard, Founder, 1638.” If you are a fan of the movie The Social Network, you will be familiar with the three lies associated with the statue. If not, here they are:
1. The statue is not an actual representation of John Harvard as no one knew quite what he looked like during the statue’s making. Instead, a first year graduate student was asked to model for the creation.
2. John Harvard did not found Harvard, the Massachusetts Bay Colony did. He simply made a large financial contribution towards the university.
3. Sadly, they didn’t even get the date right. The university was founded in 1636, contrary to what the inscription reads.
