Harvard Kennedy School
In 1936, Lucius Littauer donated $2 million to Harvard University. This gift established the Harvard Graduate School of Public Administration. The money was worth roughly $43 million in 2023 dollars. Littauer had been a Harvard College alumnus since 1878. He also served as a U.S. Congressman and coached the Harvard Crimson football team. The school opened its doors to students in 1937. Its first home sat north of Harvard Yard inside the Littauer Center. That building now houses the Economics Department. The initial curriculum focused on a one-year course for mid-career professionals. These early students were called Littauer Fellows.
Three years after John F. Kennedy died in office, the school changed its name in 1966. The new title honored the assassinated president who graduated from Harvard College in 1940. That same year, Richard Elliott Neustadt founded the Harvard Institute of Politics. The institute has lived on campus since 1978. By that time, faculty members like Graham Allison and Richard Zeckhauser moved programs to the current site. Ground broke on the 1st of October 1978, for a new building on the southern half of the former Eliot Shops. This location sits southwest of Harvard Yard near the Charles River. It replaced an old MBTA Red Line train yard. The campus now includes the Littauer Building under terms of the original grant.
The institution offers four master's degree programs today. Students can pursue a Master in Public Policy or three variations of the Master in Public Administration. One track targets executives with over seven years of work experience. Another serves those with recent graduate degrees. A third focuses on international development studies. About fifty percent of incoming Mid-Career MPA candidates come from developing countries as Mason Fellows. These students represent the most diverse cohort nationally and ethnically at the school. The program honors Edward Sagendorph Mason, who served as dean from 1947 to 1958. Doctoral options include public policy, social policy, and health policy degrees. Joint programs exist with business schools, law schools, and medical institutions across the globe.
Late 2007 saw the Kennedy School announce a rebranding effort. The official name remained unchanged but the public identity shifted to Harvard Kennedy School by Fall 2008. This change aimed to clarify ties to Harvard University. It also sought to distinguish the school from other Kennedy-named entities like the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. John F. Kennedy's brother Senator Edward M. Kennedy supported the move. His daughter Caroline Kennedy also backed the initiative. In 2012, officials launched a $500 million fundraising campaign. $120 million funded physical expansion adding 91,000 square feet. Groundbreaking occurred on the 7th of May 2015. The project finished in late 2017 when new buildings opened that December. David T. Ellwood led the school as dean from 2004 until 2015. Douglas Elmendorf took over in 2015 before stepping down in September 2023. Jeremy M. Weinstein succeeded him in July 2024.
Fourteen specialized centers operate within the school today. These include the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics focuses on moral questions in governance. The Shorenstein Center studies media, politics, and public policy. Most centers offer research fellowships allowing scholars to lead study groups. They share experiences with industry leaders and government officials alongside students. The Institute of Politics hosts speeches and forums including the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. This space sits inside the Littauer Building. The university also participates in UArctic, an international network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region. Over 200 universities collaborate through this cooperative to promote education there.
Dean Douglas Elmendorf faced criticism during his tenure for engaging across the political spectrum. On the 13th of September 2017, the school offered a fellowship to Chelsea Manning. CIA director Mike Pompeo canceled a speaking engagement at Harvard two days later. He sent a letter condemning the university for awarding the fellowship. The school publicly rescinded the offer on the 15th of September 2017. An investigative report by student group Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard found many centers received funding from fossil fuel companies. Some centers allegedly took steps to cover up these financial ties. In 2022, the Carr Center invited Kenneth Roth as a senior fellow. Human Rights Watch concluded its investigation met the threshold for apartheid regarding Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Faculty and students condemned the decision. The dean reversed course after facing backlash from the American Civil Liberties Union and others.
Over 63,000 alumni have graduated from the institution since its founding. Twenty-one heads of state or government hail from this list. Felipe Calderón served as president of Mexico while earning an MPA in 2000. Lee Hsien Loong became prime minister of Singapore after graduating in 1980. Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize following his time here. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also received that honor. Pete Hegseth currently serves as United States Secretary of Defense having earned an MPP degree in 2013. Bill O'Reilly worked as a political commentator after completing his studies in 1996. Ashley Judd pursued acting and activism with an MPA class of 2010. The school counts former CIA operative Donald Heathfield among its graduates who disclosed his identity in 2010. These individuals represent diverse fields including business, media, military, and academia.
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Common questions
When was the Harvard Kennedy School established and by whom?
The Harvard Graduate School of Public Administration opened its doors to students in 1937 after Lucius Littauer donated $2 million to Harvard University in 1936. The school changed its name to honor John F. Kennedy three years after his death in office, officially becoming the Harvard Kennedy School in 1966.
Where is the current campus of the Harvard Kennedy School located?
Ground broke on the 1st of October 1978 for a new building on the southern half of the former Eliot Shops which sits southwest of Harvard Yard near the Charles River. This location replaced an old MBTA Red Line train yard and now houses the Littauer Building under terms of the original grant.
What master's degree programs does the Harvard Kennedy School offer today?
The institution offers four master's degree programs including a Master in Public Policy and three variations of the Master in Public Administration. One track targets executives with over seven years of work experience while another serves those with recent graduate degrees and a third focuses on international development studies.
Who served as dean of the Harvard Kennedy School from 2004 until 2015?
David T. Ellwood led the school as dean from 2004 until 2015 before Douglas Elmendorf took over in 2015. Douglas Elmendorf stepped down in September 2023 and Jeremy M. Weinstein succeeded him in July 2024.
Which notable alumni have become heads of state or government from the Harvard Kennedy School?
Twenty-one heads of state or government hail from this list including Felipe Calderón who served as president of Mexico while earning an MPA in 2000 and Lee Hsien Loong who became prime minister of Singapore after graduating in 1980. Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize following his time here and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also received that honor.