1870 Harvard Pres Charles W Eliot ALS to NH Senate Pres David Buffum Admissions For Sale

Dated June 16, 1870, this is an especially desirable early Eliot letter, written during the opening period of his historic forty-year presidency of Harvard. The content is directly related to Harvard admissions and entrance examinations, making it considerably more interesting than a routine social or administrative autograph letter.

Eliot advises Buffum on whether his son should attempt the Harvard entrance examination in June or wait until September. He discusses the strain of examination preparation, Harvard\'s rules regarding failed entrance examinations, exceptions for illness or accident, and the significance of academic “conditions.”

The letter is signed boldly at the conclusion:

“Charles W. Eliot”

and is addressed at bottom to:

“David Buffum Esq.”

The reverse bears an early docket notation reading approximately:

“C. W. Eliot / June /70”

This letter was written only about a year after Charles William Eliot became President of Harvard in 1869. Eliot would remain president until 1909 and became one of the most influential university administrators in American history.

The subject matter is particularly appropriate to Eliot\'s career. He became famous for transforming Harvard\'s academic structure, modernizing its curriculum, expanding elective study, strengthening professional education, and helping reshape the American university system.

Here, at the very beginning of his presidency, Eliot is personally explaining Harvard entrance requirements to the father of a prospective student.

The recipient, David Buffum, was himself a prominent New Hampshire public figure who later served as President of the New Hampshire State Senate in 1877–1878. His portrait is included among the historic portraits associated with the New Hampshire State House.

The letter therefore represents correspondence between two notable New England figures: one of the most important presidents in Harvard history and a future presiding officer of the New Hampshire Senate.

HARVARD COLLEGE,
CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

16 June 1870.

My dear Sir:

If your son is
about ready, I should advise
him to try in June (the 30th),
because the vacation is of
great use after the strain of
preparation & examination.

One who fails in June cannot
apply in September, unless his
failure in June was due to
sudden sickness or some like
accident.

If there be any question about
your son\'s getting in, he
should therefore wait till
September 29th.

Mere conditions, if not numerous,
are not much matter

Very truly yours

Charles W. Eliot

David Buffum Esq.

Eliot tells Buffum that if his son is sufficiently prepared, he recommends taking Harvard\'s June 30 entrance examination, since the summer vacation would provide useful rest after the stress of preparing and testing.

He then explains an important Harvard admissions rule: a candidate who failed the June examination apparently could not simply try again in September, unless the June failure resulted from sudden illness or a similar unforeseen circumstance.

Accordingly, Eliot advises that if there is substantial doubt over whether Buffum\'s son would pass, he should wait until the September 29 examination.

Eliot closes by reassuring Buffum that having a few academic “conditions” was “not much matter.” In 19th-century college terminology, a condition generally meant an academic deficiency or entrance requirement that the student was permitted to make up later.

This makes the document an unusually direct firsthand glimpse into Harvard admissions practices in 1870.

Charles William Eliot (1834–1926) was one of the most consequential figures in the history of American higher education.

A Harvard graduate himself, Eliot became the university\'s 21st President in 1869, at only 35 years old. He remained in office until 1909, giving him one of the longest and most influential presidencies in Harvard history.

During Eliot\'s administration, Harvard was transformed from a relatively traditional New England college into a modern university. His reforms included:

• Expansion of the elective curriculum
• Greater emphasis on advanced and specialized study
• Development of graduate and professional education
• Raising admissions and academic standards
• Expansion of Harvard\'s faculty and facilities
• Promotion of academic freedom and intellectual specialization

His educational philosophy influenced colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Eliot later became widely known outside Harvard through the Harvard Classics, the famous multi-volume collection popularly known as “Dr. Eliot\'s Five-Foot Shelf of Books.”

An autograph letter from Eliot is collectible in its own right, but this example is particularly appealing because it dates from 1870, at the very beginning of his presidency, and directly concerns Harvard admissions.

David Buffum was a prominent 19th-century New Hampshire public figure and politician.

He later served as President of the New Hampshire State Senate during 1877–1878, placing him among the senior political leaders of the state during the post-Civil War era.

Buffum is represented among the historical portraiture connected with the New Hampshire State House, further reflecting his standing in state political history.

In this letter he appears not in his political capacity but as a father seeking advice from Harvard\'s president concerning his son\'s college entrance examination.

That personal context adds considerable interest to the document, revealing the interaction between an important New Hampshire political family and Harvard at a formative moment in the university\'s development.

This letter should appeal to collectors of:

Harvard University history; Charles William Eliot autographs; American education history; 19th-century college and university material; New Hampshire political history; New Hampshire State Senate memorabilia; presidential autographs; and historic manuscript correspondence.

The particularly strong features are the engraved Harvard College letterhead, early 1870 date, substantive discussion of Harvard admissions, full Eliot signature, and identifiable recipient with his own significant political career.

Original antique manuscript with expected age toning, old folds and handling wear consistent with a document more than 150 years old. The writing remains strong and readily legible, and Eliot\'s signature is clear. Please examine the photographs carefully for the exact condition, folds, edges and any mounting or prior album traces.

Guaranteed original period manuscript and autograph — not a reproduction.

Intriguingly, the prospective Harvard student discussed in this letter appears to have been Buffum’s eldest son, Edgar Stickney Buffum. Despite President Eliot’s advice regarding the Harvard entrance examinations, Edgar ultimately attended Yale College, graduating with the class of 1877.