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Today, going to college after high school is considered the norm—so much so, that it's hard to believe there was ever a time when higher education didn't actually exist. Back in the 1600s, college began as a source of education for those going into the ministry. Years later, the schools grew to focus on a broader range of studies, including medicine and law, and eventually agriculture and engineering. In the beginning, college was only an option for men, and for a long time, there weren't many schools throughout the country. Higher education has come a long way since then. Here's a look at some of the oldest universities in the U.S.—their campuses and classrooms contain a whole lot of history.
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The oldest continuously occupied military post in America, West Point dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized they needed a commanding spot on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington once thought of West Point as the most important strategic position in America. Thaddeus Kosciuszko was picked to design the fortifications in 1778, and soldiers built forts, batteries, and more.
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Once called South Carolina College, this school was established as a way to unite South Carolinians after the American Revolution. The founding was a part of the Southern public college movement spurred by Thomas Jefferson. After surviving an earthquake and a fire, the school didn't make it through the Civil War and Reconstruction. It closed in 1861 but was revived in 1866.
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Vincennes University is Indiana's first college. It was founded by the ninth U.S. president, William Henry Harrison, while he was serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. They have campuses in Vincennes and Jasper, and additional sites. They also offer instruction at military states throughout the country.
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One of the most highly regarded liberal arts schools in the country, Middlebury has been committed to creating an environment on campus that encourages learning and engaged discourse since they were founded in 1800.
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The University of Louisville started out as Jefferson Seminary, which had a difficult time surviving: it didn't officially open until the fall of 1813, then closed in 1829. The Louisville Collegiate Institute was eventually changed to University of Louisville, which inherited the estate of Jefferson Seminary.
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Hartwick College is really small, with only about 1,200 students. Back in 1797, it began as Hartwick Seminary and was founded through the will of John Christopher Hartwick, a Lutheran minister who arrived from Germany in 1746 to lead several mission congregations of early settlers near the area. He had a dream of establishing a college that eventually became a reality.
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Surrounded by palm trees with locations on South Carolina's coast in Bluffton, Beaufort, and Hilton Head Island, the University of South Carolina-Beaufort is a small college with just over 2,000 students. The student to faculty ratio offers excellent personalized learning advantages.
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Union College was the first college charted by the Board of Regents of the State of New York. The name was chosen to represent the fact that the founders wanted the college to be open to different religious and national groups throughout the area. Union is still one of the oldest non-denominational colleges in the country.
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The University of Tennessee was founded two years before Tennessee even became an official U.S. state. It was originally chartered as Blount College, and was an all-male school that struggled with a small student body. Since then, it has undergone a few significant transformations.
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Although Bowdoin was established in 1794, it didn't begin to really develop until the 1820s. Notable writers Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow were two early graduates of the school, which is now a private liberal arts college.
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Today, Williams College is known as one of the best liberal arts colleges in America. Since it was established in 1793, many prominent alumni have come out of the school; Pulitzer Prize winners, Nobel Prize winners, members of Congress and the Supreme Court, and even one of the Presidents of the UnitedStates: James Abram Garfield.
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Hamilton was first called Hamilton-Oneida Academy when it was established in 1793, and became Hamilton College in 1812 when it was named in honor of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. The school didn't allow female students until 1978, when it merged with the all-women's Kirkland College.
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The University of Vermont is the fifth oldestuniversity in New England and was the first institution of higher education to declare public support for freedom of religion. It was also the first university to allow women and African-Americans into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill didn't begin enrolling students until 1795, but it is still one of the oldest public universities in the U.S. Many future members of government attended the University, including a U.S. president and Vice President.
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Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit college in the country. U.S. presidents, Supreme Court Justices, and other high-ranking government officials are among the alumni of this prestigious institution.
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Castleton is a small university in Vermont that emphasizes undergraduate liberal arts and professional studies, and also offers graduate programs. They are known for small classes with a growing international population for a lot of diversity.
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In 1787, Franklin & Marshall College was founded with a generous financial donation from Benjamin Franklin. It was the first bilingual college in the U.S., as classes were taught in both English and German, and it was also the first coeducational institution, allowing both men and women to attend (this was eventually abandoned for 182 years).
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Back in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh was known as Pittsburgh Academy and was an actual log cabin that acted as a prep school. It obviously expanded as the years went on, and is now a state-related research university.
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In 1785, Georgia became the first state to charter a state-supported university, making the University of Georgia one of the oldest public universities in the U.S. Many notable alumni have graced the halls, from government officials to Emmy and Grammy winners, writers, scholars, poets, and more.
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W&J College began in 1781, not long after the American Revolution. Three log cabin schools merged together to become W&J, and in 1865, it merged with Jefferson College to become Washington & Jefferson. Old Main, pictured here, is one of the most prominent buildings on campus.
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Affectionately known as Transy, this was the first university in Kentucky, although it actually began in an area that was once known as Virginia. Two U.S. Presidents have graduated from the school.
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Hampden-Sydney, a men's liberal arts college, was the last American college founded in British Colonial America and the last college founded before the American Declaration of Independence was signed. It is now one of only three men's-only liberal arts colleges in the U.S.
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Dickinson College was originally known as the Carlisle Grammar School and was founded in 1773 and charted in 1783, six days after the Revolutionary War ended. Because of this, Dickinson became the first college chartered in the new UnitedStates.
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Salem College is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in the U.S. It was founded in 1772 by Sister Elisabeth Oesterlein as a boarding school. In 1866, it was renamed Salem Female Academy, and in 1890, it began offering college degrees.
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The College of Charleston is known as the oldest educational institution south of Virginia, and was founded in a time when only wealthy families sent their sons to college. It's also the oldest college in South Carolina.
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Today, Dartmouth is a private Ivy League university, but when it was established in 1769, it was meant to be a school that educated Native Americans in Christian theology and the English way of life. It eventually evolved to become one of the most prestigious schools in the country.
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In 1766, Rutgers was charted as an all-male school and was known as Queen's College. It was renamed Rutgers in 1825 in honor of Colonel Henry Rutgers, a Revolutionary War veteran.
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In 1764, Brown became the first college in the U.S. to admit students regardless of their religious background. In 1891, they started allowing women into the school. It was also one of the doctoral-granting colleges in the country.
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Back in 1754, Columbia University was called King's College. It was renamed Columbia in 1784 after the American Revolution, and is the oldest college in New York. The school has many notable alumni, including Alexander Hamilton, Robert R. Livingston, and John Jay.
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Washington and Lee was named after two important men in American history: George Washington (who gave a donation of $20,000 in 1796) and Robert E. Lee. It was originally called Augusta Academy.
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In 1746, Princeton was founded as the College of New Jersey. In 1756, the college was moved to Princeton, New Jersey, which is when the name was changed. Like many other Colonial Colleges, it was first opened to train ministers, but today, it's one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
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In 1743, a petition created by the Presbytery of Lewes to create an educated clergy caught the attention of Rev. Dr. Francis Alison, who opened a school in New London, Pennsylvania. In 1765, it was relocated to Newark, Delaware.
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In 1742, Moravian became the first boarding school for young women in the American colonies when it was founded by a 16-year-old named Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf. A men's version of the school was founded in the same year. In 1954, both the men's and women's schools combined to form Moravian.
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In 1740, Penn was founded with a slightly different idea in mind: Evangelist George Whitefield wanted to build a Philadelphia charity school that was also a house of worship for his followers. The original project went unfinished for a decade due to lack of funds, but in 1749, Benjamin Franklin helped get the school going again, and in 1751, the doors were opened again as the Academy and Charitable School in the Province of Pennsylvania.
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Although it was founded in 1701, Yale can be traced back to the 1640s, when colonial clergymen wanted to found a college to preserve the tradition of European liberal education in what would later become America. The charter wasn't granted until 1701, and it became Yale College in 1718.
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In 1696, St. John's College was founded as King William's School and was a grammar/prep school. It took a century before it was chartered as St. John's College.
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The second oldest college in America, the original plans for W&M can be traced all the way back to 1618—they never went through because of an "Indian uprising." In 1693, King William III and Queen Mary II of England signed the charter for the school, which went on to become William & Mary.
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There are many reasons why Harvard is widely considered to be the most prestigious school in the country, but for starters, it was the first official college in the UnitedStates. It was named after John Harvard, who donated a large sum of money and a massive library of books to the school.
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![Slide 1 of 39: Today, going to college after high school is considered the norm—so much so, that it's hard to believe there was ever a time when higher education didn't actually exist. Back in the 1600s, college began as a source of education for those going into the ministry. Years later, the schools grew to focus on a broader range of studies, including medicine and law, and eventually agriculture and engineering. In the beginning, college was only an option for men, and for a long time, there weren't many schools throughout the country. Higher education has come a long way since then. Here's a look at some of the oldest universities in the U.S.—their campuses and classrooms contain a whole lot of history.]({"default":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxCq.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f","size3column":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxCq.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f","size2column":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxCq.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"} "These Are The Oldest Universities In America - DenisTangneyJr - Getty Images")
![Slide 2 of 39: Established in 1802Location: Orange County, New YorkThe oldest continuously occupied military post in America, West Point dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized they needed a commanding spot on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington once thought of West Point as the most important strategic position in America. Thaddeus Kosciuszko was picked to design the fortifications in 1778, and soldiers built forts, batteries, and more.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQ4.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQ4.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQ4.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "United States Military Academy West Point - United States Military Academy")
![Slide 3 of 39: Established in 1801Location: Columbia, South CarolinaOnce called South Carolina College, this school was established as a way to unite South Carolinians after the American Revolution. The founding was a part of the Southern public college movement spurred by Thomas Jefferson. After surviving an earthquake and a fire, the school didn't make it through the Civil War and Reconstruction. It closed in 1861 but was revived in 1866.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQb.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQb.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQb.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "University of South Carolina - University of South Carolina")
![Slide 4 of 39: Establishes in 1801Location: Vincennes, IndianaVincennes University is Indiana's first college. It was founded by the ninth U.S. president, William Henry Harrison, while he was serving as governor of the Indiana Territory. They have campuses in Vincennes and Jasper, and additional sites. They also offer instruction at military states throughout the country.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lssb.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lssb.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lssb.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Vincennes University - Vincennes University")
![]({"default":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19WWVf.img?h=368&w=622&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=t&l=f&f=jpg"} "ody2")
![Slide 5 of 39: Established in 1800Location: Middlebury, VermontOne of the most highly regarded liberal arts schools in the country, Middlebury has been committed to creating an environment on campus that encourages learning and engaged discourse since they were founded in 1800.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lEWy.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lEWy.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lEWy.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Middlebury College - Middlebury")
![Slide 6 of 39: Established in 1798Location: Louisville, Kentucky The University of Louisville started out as Jefferson Seminary, which had a difficult time surviving: it didn't officially open until the fall of 1813, then closed in 1829. The Louisville Collegiate Institute was eventually changed to University of Louisville, which inherited the estate of Jefferson Seminary.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxCM.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxCM.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxCM.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "University of Louisville - Louisville")
![Slide 7 of 39: Established in 1797Location: Oneonta, New YorkHartwick College is really small, with only about 1,200 students. Back in 1797, it began as Hartwick Seminary and was founded through the will of John Christopher Hartwick, a Lutheran minister who arrived from Germany in 1746 to lead several mission congregations of early settlers near the area. He had a dream of establishing a college that eventually became a reality.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDru.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDru.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDru.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Hartwick College - Hartwick")
![Slide 8 of 39: Established in 1797Location: BlufftonSurrounded by palm trees with locations on South Carolina's coast in Bluffton, Beaufort, and Hilton Head Island, the University of South Carolina-Beaufort is a small college with just over 2,000 students. The student to faculty ratio offers excellent personalized learning advantages.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqYd.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqYd.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqYd.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "University of South Carolina-Beaufort - South Carolina-Beaufort")
![Slide 9 of 39: Established in 1795 Location: Schenectady, NYUnion College was the first college charted by the Board of Regents of the State of New York. The name was chosen to represent the fact that the founders wanted the college to be open to different religious and national groups throughout the area. Union is still one of the oldest non-denominational colleges in the country.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDrE.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDrE.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDrE.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Union College - KatieDobies - Getty Images")
![]({"default":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB1bDRbv.img?h=368&w=622&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=t&l=f&f=jpg"} "slam")
![Slide 10 of 39: Established in 1794Location: Knoxville, TennesseeThe University of Tennessee was founded two years before Tennessee even became an official U.S. state. It was originally chartered as Blount College, and was an all-male school that struggled with a small student body. Since then, it has undergone a few significant transformations.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB2m.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB2m.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB2m.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "The University of Tennessee - sframephoto - Getty Images")
![Slide 11 of 39: Established in 1794Location: Brunswick, MaineAlthough Bowdoin was established in 1794, it didn't begin to really develop until the 1820s. Notable writers Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow were two early graduates of the school, which is now a private liberal arts college.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB2w.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB2w.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB2w.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Bowdoin College - Portland Press Herald - Getty Images")
![Slide 12 of 39: Established in 1793 Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts Today, Williams College is known as one of the best liberal arts colleges in America. Since it was established in 1793, many prominent alumni have come out of the school; Pulitzer Prize winners, Nobel Prize winners, members of Congress and the Supreme Court, and even one of the Presidents of the United States: James Abram Garfield.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxDb.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxDb.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxDb.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Williams College - DenisTangneyJr - Getty Images")
![Slide 13 of 39: Established in 1793 Location: Clinton, New YorkHamilton was first called Hamilton-Oneida Academy when it was established in 1793, and became Hamilton College in 1812 when it was named in honor of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. The school didn't allow female students until 1978, when it merged with the all-women's Kirkland College.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQE.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQE.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liQE.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Hamilton College - Hamilton")
![Slide 14 of 39: Established in 1791Location: Burlington, VermontThe University of Vermont is the fifth oldest university in New England and was the first institution of higher education to declare public support for freedom of religion. It was also the first university to allow women and African-Americans into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDs6.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDs6.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDs6.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "The University of Vermont - HsinJuHSU - Getty Images")
![]({"default":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB1bXk4E.img?h=368&w=622&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=t&l=f&f=jpg"} "mf auto")
![Slide 15 of 39: Established in 1789 Location: Chapel Hill, North CarolinaThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill didn't begin enrolling students until 1795, but it is still one of the oldest public universities in the U.S. Many future members of government attended the University, including a U.S. president and Vice President.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luVF.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luVF.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luVF.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Ryan Herron - Getty Images")
![Slide 16 of 39: Established in 1789Location: Washington, D.C. Georgetown is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit college in the country. U.S. presidents, Supreme Court Justices, and other high-ranking government officials are among the alumni of this prestigious institution.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqYH.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqYH.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqYH.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Georgetown University - OlegAlbinsky - Getty Images")
![Slide 17 of 39: Established in 1787Location: Castleton, Vermont Castleton is a small university in Vermont that emphasizes undergraduate liberal arts and professional studies, and also offers graduate programs. They are known for small classes with a growing international population for a lot of diversity.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lssg.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lssg.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lssg.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Castleton University - Castleton University")
![Slide 18 of 39: Established in 1787 Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania In 1787, Franklin & Marshall College was founded with a generous financial donation from Benjamin Franklin. It was the first bilingual college in the U.S., as classes were taught in both English and German, and it was also the first coeducational institution, allowing both men and women to attend (this was eventually abandoned for 182 years).]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxDH.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxDH.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxDH.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Franklin & Marshall College - The Washington Post - Getty Images")
![Slide 19 of 39: Established in 1787 Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Back in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh was known as Pittsburgh Academy and was an actual log cabin that acted as a prep school. It obviously expanded as the years went on, and is now a state-related research university.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liR9.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liR9.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liR9.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "University of Pittsburgh - HaizhanZheng - Getty Images")
![Slide 20 of 39: Established in 1785 Location: Athens, Georgia In 1785, Georgia became the first state to charter a state-supported university, making the University of Georgia one of the oldest public universities in the U.S. Many notable alumni have graced the halls, from government officials to Emmy and Grammy winners, writers, scholars, poets, and more.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liRf.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liRf.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liRf.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "University of Georgia - SeanPavonePhoto - Getty Images")
![Slide 21 of 39: Established in 1781Location: Washington, Pennsylvania W&J College began in 1781, not long after the American Revolution. Three log cabin schools merged together to become W&J, and in 1865, it merged with Jefferson College to become Washington & Jefferson. Old Main, pictured here, is one of the most prominent buildings on campus.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liRj.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liRj.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liRj.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Washington & Jefferson College - Washington & Jefferson College")
![Slide 22 of 39: Established in 1780Location: Lexington, KentuckyAffectionately known as Transy, this was the first university in Kentucky, although it actually began in an area that was once known as Virginia. Two U.S. Presidents have graduated from the school.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqZ9.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqZ9.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqZ9.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Transylvania University - Transylvania University")
![Slide 23 of 39: Established in 1775Location: Hampden Sydney, VirginiaHampden-Sydney, a men's liberal arts college, was the last American college founded in British Colonial America and the last college founded before the American Declaration of Independence was signed. It is now one of only three men's-only liberal arts colleges in the U.S.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lEXj.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lEXj.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lEXj.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Hampden-Sydney College - Hampden-Sydney College")
![Slide 24 of 39: Established in 1773 Location: Carlisle, Pennsylvania Dickinson College was originally known as the Carlisle Grammar School and was founded in 1773 and charted in 1783, six days after the Revolutionary War ended. Because of this, Dickinson became the first college chartered in the new United States.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luWf.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luWf.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luWf.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Dickinson College - Dickinson College")
![Slide 25 of 39: Established in 1772Location: Winston-Salem, North CarolinaSalem College is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in the U.S. It was founded in 1772 by Sister Elisabeth Oesterlein as a boarding school. In 1866, it was renamed Salem Female Academy, and in 1890, it began offering college degrees.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqZp.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqZp.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lqZp.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Salem College - Salem College")
![Slide 26 of 39: Established in 1770Location: Charleston, South CarolinaThe College of Charleston is known as the oldest educational institution south of Virginia, and was founded in a time when only wealthy families sent their sons to college. It's also the oldest college in South Carolina.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDtP.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDtP.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDtP.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "College of Charleston - Debbie H Perkins Photography - Getty Images")
![Slide 27 of 39: Established in 1769Location: Hanover, New Hampshire Today, Dartmouth is a private Ivy League university, but when it was established in 1769, it was meant to be a school that educated Native Americans in Christian theology and the English way of life. It eventually evolved to become one of the most prestigious schools in the country.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4s.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4s.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4s.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Dartmouth College - jmoor17 - Getty Images")
![Slide 28 of 39: Established in 1766Location: New Brunswick, New JerseyIn 1766, Rutgers was charted as an all-male school and was known as Queen's College. It was renamed Rutgers in 1825 in honor of Colonel Henry Rutgers, a Revolutionary War veteran.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luWy.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luWy.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19luWy.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Rutgers University - GraphicaArtis - Getty Images")
![Slide 29 of 39: Established in 1764Location: Providence, Rhode IslandIn 1764, Brown became the first college in the U.S. to admit students regardless of their religious background. In 1891, they started allowing women into the school. It was also one of the doctoral-granting colleges in the country.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4F.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4F.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4F.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Brown University - DenisTangneyJr - Getty Images")
![Slide 30 of 39: Established in 1754Location: New York City, New YorkBack in 1754, Columbia University was called King's College. It was renamed Columbia in 1784 after the American Revolution, and is the oldest college in New York. The school has many notable alumni, including Alexander Hamilton, Robert R. Livingston, and John Jay.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4O.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4O.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB4O.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Columbia University - Underwood Archives - Getty Images")
![Slide 31 of 39: Established in 1749Location: Lexington, Virginia Washington and Lee was named after two important men in American history: George Washington (who gave a donation of $20,000 in 1796) and Robert E. Lee. It was originally called Augusta Academy.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDuC.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDuC.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDuC.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Washington and Lee University - Montes-Bradley - Getty Images")
![Slide 32 of 39: Established in 1746Location: Princeton, New JerseyIn 1746, Princeton was founded as the College of New Jersey. In 1756, the college was moved to Princeton, New Jersey, which is when the name was changed. Like many other Colonial Colleges, it was first opened to train ministers, but today, it's one of the most prestigious universities in the country.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB58.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB58.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lB58.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Princeton University - Bettmann - Getty Images")
![Slide 33 of 39: Established in 1743Location: Newark, DelawareIn 1743, a petition created by the Presbytery of Lewes to create an educated clergy caught the attention of Rev. Dr. Francis Alison, who opened a school in New London, Pennsylvania. In 1765, it was relocated to Newark, Delaware.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDv4.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDv4.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDv4.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "University of Delaware - gregobagel - Getty Images")
![Slide 34 of 39: Established in 1742Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania In 1742, Moravian became the first boarding school for young women in the American colonies when it was founded by a 16-year-old named Countess Benigna von Zinzendorf. A men's version of the school was founded in the same year. In 1954, both the men's and women's schools combined to form Moravian.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lr0f.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lr0f.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lr0f.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Moravian College - CynthiaAnnF - Getty Images")
![Slide 35 of 39: Established in 1740Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania In 1740, Penn was founded with a slightly different idea in mind: Evangelist George Whitefield wanted to build a Philadelphia charity school that was also a house of worship for his followers. The original project went unfinished for a decade due to lack of funds, but in 1749, Benjamin Franklin helped get the school going again, and in 1751, the doors were opened again as the Academy and Charitable School in the Province of Pennsylvania.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liSD.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liSD.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19liSD.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "University of Pennsylvania - Archive Photos - Getty Images")
![Slide 36 of 39: Established in 1701Location: New Haven, Connecticut Although it was founded in 1701, Yale can be traced back to the 1640s, when colonial clergymen wanted to found a college to preserve the tradition of European liberal education in what would later become America. The charter wasn't granted until 1701, and it became Yale College in 1718.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lr0n.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lr0n.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lr0n.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Yale University - Lake County Discovery Museum - Getty Images")
![Slide 37 of 39: Established in 1696Location: Annapolis, MarylandIn 1696, St. John's College was founded as King William's School and was a grammar/prep school. It took a century before it was chartered as St. John's College.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxFw.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxFw.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxFw.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "St. John's College - The Washington Post - Getty Images")
![Slide 38 of 39: Established in 1693Location: Williamsburg, VirginiaThe second oldest college in America, the original plans for W&M can be traced all the way back to 1618—they never went through because of an "Indian uprising." In 1693, King William III and Queen Mary II of England signed the charter for the school, which went on to become William & Mary.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDvO.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDvO.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lDvO.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "The College of William & Mary - Bettmann - Getty Images")
![Slide 39 of 39: Established in 1636Location: Cambridge, MassachusettsThere are many reasons why Harvard is widely considered to be the most prestigious school in the country, but for starters, it was the first official college in the United States. It was named after John Harvard, who donated a large sum of money and a massive library of books to the school.]({"default":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxFG.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxFG.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"wait","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB19lxFG.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f"}} "Harvard University - Print Collector - Getty Images")
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