Harvard College (1636-1780). Scholars of the House

The Scholars of the House were students appointed by the Harvard Corporation to monitor the buildings, rooms, and fences of the College, and to provide a quarterly accounting, known as the district reports, of damages and any responsible parties to the Treasurer. The Scholars' responsibilities were twofold: to monitor the condition of the College’s property, and to monitor the activities of students.

The duties of the Scholars of the House were first specified in the College Laws recorded in the March 27, 1667 meeting of the Harvard Overseers. The Scholars' were instructed to inventory the condition of the chamber doors, shelves, tables, windows, benches, common doors, chimneys, floors, spouts, and gutters, and afterwards to inspect them regularly for damage. Scholars of the House kept lists of room occupancies, and investigated the causes and parties responsible for damaged property.

By the beginning of the 18th century, six students were appointed each September as Scholars of the House. The Scholars of the House were typically undergraduates who lived in the dormitories. They usually held the position for one to two years, and were paid an annual stipend. The stipend was a type of financial aid, and the appointed students were often attending the College on scholarships.

The Corporation oversaw the creation of the College's districts. In 1707, the Corporation voted that the two College houses (Harvard Hall and Stoughton Hall) should be divided by the Tutors among the Scholars of the House. The September 30, 1725 Faculty Minutes laid out the specific parameters of six districts:

Following the destruction of Harvard Hall II by fire on January 24, 1764 and the building of Hollis Hall and Harvard Hall III in 1762 and 1764 respectively, the College districts were redrawn in 1766, and a seventh district was added:

The Harvard Corporation appointed the last Scholars of the House in September 1772. In April 1796, the Corporation voted to reassign the responsibilities of the Scholars of the House to the Tutors and Librarian, and instead of looseleaf district reports, information was to be entered into account books titled "State of the Chambers."