The Rise and Fall of Harvard University
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
“Everyone shall consider as the main end of his life and studies, to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life.” – the original mission of Harvard University
No, that isn’t a typo. Harvard University, like several other Ivy League colleges, was established as a seminary to train young men for the ministry. As such, it adopted the mission statement above and wasn’t afraid or ashamed to promote and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In fact, Harvard’s first motto was Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae, which means “Truth for Christ and the Church.” Harvard’s original seal depicted three books, two facing up and one turned down. The two open books represented the Old and New Testaments, and the truth that is revealed through studying and applying God’s Word. The closed book represented the eternal truths that are beyond human reasoning and can only be ascertained through divine revelation. The three-book seal was a bold yet humble admission that man depends on what God reveals, and that not all truth is accessible by reason alone.
Not surprisingly, that original seal has since been redesigned. All three books now face upward, a not-so-subliminal declaration that human reason is now sufficient, and divine revelation is no longer necessary. Likewise, the words “Christ and the Church” have been stripped from the motto. Only Veritas remains, truth being severed from the One who is the very embodiment of Truth. And yet, as we all know, truth severed from Christ is no truth at all.
It is tragic to see how far Harvard, founded in 1636 by Puritans who required all its students to study both Hebrew and Greek, has fallen. The same can be said of Yale, which was founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School to train Congregationalist ministers in Connecticut. Princeton, which was founded as the College of New Jersey in 1746 to train Presbyterian clergy, has also strayed far from its spiritual roots as has Dartmouth, which was established in 1769 for the purpose of evangelizing and educating Native Americans.
Let me leave you with two Bible verses that the students at Harvard once knew verbatim…
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6 (BSB)
“Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.” Romans 1:22 (NLT)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
