• C.W. Eliot, circa 1907
    Charles William Eliot was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 20, 1834.  He graduated from Harvard University in 1853 and taught there until 1863.  Eliot was bright and ambitious.  At age 35, he was elected as Harvard University president, the youngest president in the history of the oldest university in the United States.  Charles Eliot served as Harvard's president for 40 years, the longest term as president in the university's history.

    Eliot was a strong advocate for the adoption of a more standardized and difficult course of study in secondary schools.  Tireless in his pursuit of his vision, Eliot influenced many educators to adopt more rigorous coursework in their classrooms.  It was under Eliot's leadership that Harvard adopted an elective system which expanded the range of courses offered to students, allowing them a wider range of classes to take.  This enabled students to discover neEliot and Grandson w interests and follow them into more specialized studies.

    Charles W. Eliot died on August 22, 1926, at age 93, leaving a legacy of educational reform.