University Harvard University Established 1930 Phone +1 617-495-2275 Named for Charles William Eliot | Location 101 Dunster Street Colours Blue, Red, White Founded 1930 | |
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Sister college Jonathan Edwards College and Emmanuel College Faculty Deans Douglas A. Melton and Gail O'Keefe Address 101 Dunster St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Similar Dunster House, Winthrop House, Kirkland House, Lowell House, Adams House | ||
Eliot House is one of twelve undergraduate residential Houses at Harvard University. It is one of the seven original houses at the College. Opened in 1931, the house was named after Charles William Eliot, who served as president of the university for forty years (1869–1909).
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Traditions
Before Harvard opted to use a lottery system to assign residences to upperclassmen (beginning with the class of 1999), Eliot was known as a 'prep' house, providing accommodation to the university's social elite, and being known as "more Harvard than Harvard". Describing Eliot House in the late 1950s and early 1960s, author Alston Chase wrote, "[A]lthough most Harvard houses in those days reflected the values of Boston Brahmin society ... Eliot was more extreme".
Some traditions of Eliot House are the annual Spring Fete, the charity event An Evening with Champions, the Eliot Boat Club (an intramural crew team), formal dinners such as the Charles Eliot Dinner, and a strong sense of house pride. The motto 'Floreat Domus de Eliot' and 'Domus' are traditional chants and greetings, particularly on Housing Day, when freshman find out their housing assignments.
Movie appearances
Eliot's prominent belltower is featured in many films, including two screen shots in Old School; Legally Blonde; Chasing Liberty; and Euro Trip, which features the tower at the end of the film, incorrectly identifying it as Oberlin College. Eliot House is also featured prominently in Love Story and The Social Network.
Notable alumni
Notable former residents of the house include:
In 1951, roommates of Eliot House A-12 included Paul Matisse, grandson of French impressionist Henri Matisse, Stephen Joyce, grandson of novelist James Joyce, and Sadruddin Aga Khan, lineal descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. This caused master John Finley to brag to the New York Times, "where else would you find, in one room, the grandson of Matisse, the grandson of Joyce, and the great-great-great-great-grandson of God?"