Harvard Yearbook
Fact Book
Harvard Yearbook is located at Two Brattle Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The entrance is just behind the Brattle Theater in the heart of Harvard Square. 
Black and Gold. They make a great looking necktie.
Aardvarks! The story of the Yearbook mascot dates back to the '50s when announcements for student organizations at Harvard were listed alphabetically. The attention span of the a college student has never made it all the way from "A" to "Z"... typically trancing somewhere around "D". The placement of the letter "Y" at the end of the alphabet put the "Y"earbook at a distinct disadvantage to the "C"rimson... and every other campus organization. By adopting the code name Aardvark, the Yearbook notices always appear ahead of the others. Much like "Where's Waldo", you should expect to find an Aardvark someplace in all Harvard Yearbook publications. The banner Aardvark pictured above was designed in 1989. Click Here to see the original Aardvark designs.
Hell's Aardvarks was a fashionable adaptation of the Yearbook mascot in the late '60s that marked the Aardvark's debut into the world of Yearbook apparel beyond neckties. The Hell's Aardvarks logo reappeared in 1994 as the unofficial mark of the Harvard Yearbook Alumni.
At least two distinct publications have come out of Harvard Yearbook Publications under the name "Camb
ridge 38". The original Cambridge 38 was a literary and photo essay magazine that originated in the early 1960's. The magazine was excellent but it wasn't profitable and had to be discontinued. Cambridge 38 reappeared in 1990 as a free supplement to the Yearbook itself in order to chronicle the significant events of the year that occur after the hardbound edition goes to press. Although it wasn't called "Cambridge 38", coverage of late spring events began with a 333 Strike Special.
Beginning with 314 ('50), four years before Harvard Yearbook Publications, Inc. was incorporated as an all student run nonprofit publishing house, the covers of all Harvard Yearbooks were the traditional Harvard Maroon. Beginning with 353 ('89), the cover of the Yearbook switched colors to Black with Gold writing. Some believed the Black and Gold were selected because these were the official Yearbook colors. Some believed the Black covers symbolized official mourning of the Yearbook because it had been banished from the spacious, prominent quarters at 52 Dunster Street to some remote hole in the basement in Cabot Hall. Whatever the reason, the Black covers are sharp looking and have "stuck" with the Yearbook ever since.
Historically, the official title of every yearbook is a number for the years of Harvard. This is almost always expressed in numerals along the spine and in words on the title page (without the word "hundred" except at the beginning of each new ten year period). When the class of 2000 graduates, Harvard will be 364 years old, and the title of the Yearbook will be likewise - Three Sixty Four.
"Cliffie" was a name for the women who attended Harvard, but were formally admitted to the University through Harvard's "sister" college, Radcliffe. Although men and women attended the same classes and took the same examinations, until the late 60's, Harvard women were awarded Radcliffe degrees. Today, there are no "Cliffies". All students are admitted to Harvard College.
First Cliffie on Yearbook staff: 323 ('59)
First Cliffie Yearbook president: 326 ('62)
Total Harvard Yearbook Alumni: Somewhere around 1200.
Largest staff: Ninety-six -- 331 ('67)
Smallest staff: Nineteen -- 360 ('96)
Record number of graduates / grad students on a staff: Seven -- 334 ('70)
Record number of years on staff: Seven -- Ivar Viehe-Naess '67 and Chien Chung Pei '68 tied.
In the '50s it was "Casablanca"
In the 90's its "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
There is nourishment in great movies.
Marie La Peau is a song by Salloom Sinclair and the Mother Bear about a Voodoo Queen in New Orleans. The real New Orleans Voodoo Queen was Marie Laveau.
Back to 50 years of Hell's Aardvarks
Back to 50th Anniversary Celebration Calendar
