Harvard University. Steward.

Early Years, 1638-1642

The first students to attend Harvard, in 1638, suffered under the care of Nathaniel Eaton, appointed to head the new College a year earlier. Eaton and his wife shared responsibility for overseeing the residential life of Harvard students, duties that would later become the domain of the College Steward. The conclusion of Eaton's problematic one-year term came with his wife's apologies for the "sin of neglect" in providing for the students' basic nutritional needs, and his termination. His successor, Henry Dunster, served as Harvard's President from 1640 to 1654, and during his tenure, the Corporation created the position of College Steward.

In September 1642, Dunster welcomed the students into the still incomplete "Old College," the first building constructed specifically to house the institution. In 1653, Dunster remembered that eleven years earlier, he was forced "to bee their [the students] steward, & to Direct their brewer, baker, butler, Cook, how to apportion their commons." As the College developed into a true residential institution, the demands of feeding, housing, and accepting payment from the students required the hiring of an administrator to manage the operations, the Steward.

The Steward's Responsibilities

In Harvard's records, the Steward first appears in College Book I, "Certain Orders by the Schollars & officers of the Colledge to bee observed, written 28 March 1650." His duties were further specified in an Overseers' Meeting on March 27, 1667, and continually refined in the College Laws. One of the Steward's principal roles as a College officer was that of purchasing agent for food, fuel, and services. He supervised the College Butler and kitchen staff, paid their wages, and received account information from them; he, himself, reported to the President and Corporation. In his role, the Steward also monitored the amount of food and drink taken by students, both in sizing (food or drink ordered from the Buttery) and commons (food provided in the dining hall). The daily activities of feeding and housing the Harvard community fell to the Butler, Cook, and related servants.

The Steward also acted as the financial officer for student accounts calculating and settling the students’ credits and debits with the College. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Harvard's Treasurer oversaw the College's finances, and the Steward managed the money spent in feeding and housing the students. The small debts owed for snacks and sundries at the Buttery were paid to the Butler, but the full cost of tuition, room, and board was calculated by and paid to the Steward. The "Orders" cautioned that the Steward "shal not pmit but upon his owne peril, any students to bee above Two pounds indebted" to the College (College Book I, page 49). Many of the students used payment in kind to pay their bills, and the Steward was warned against taking "any pay that is useless, hazardful, or importing detriment to the Colledge, as lean Cattle to feed" (page 49).

The Corporation appointed the Steward with the approval of the Board of Overseers. The Corporation strictly guided the actions of the Steward, setting the amount charged to students for food and Commencement dinners, determining when additional allowances might be made for unexpected expenses, and reviewing accounts. The Corporation expected the Steward to seek out the "cheapest and best" supplies available. During the year, the Steward acted with considerable autonomy in maintaining his accounts, settling them with the Treasurer at the close of each school year. With the approval of the Corporation, the Treasurer could also advance money to the Steward as needed.

The early history of the position remains incomplete. The first man appointed specifically as the College Steward was Matthew Day (ca. 1620-1649), better known as one of Massachusetts and Harvard's first printers. There are no known contemporary records linking Day to the position, and no indication of when he first assumed the role. The earliest reference appears in College Book III, begun around 1654, with the note of the bequest of "Matthew Day Steward of the Colledge" of land for the Fellows Orchard upon his death on May 10, 1649 (page 32).

The position of Stewards was a career often spanning decades. The Bordman Family kept the position in the family from 1682 to 1750. Stewards were as active in the Cambridge community as they were at Harvard, and many held civic appointments such as town selectman.

The demands on the Steward grew over time with the expansion of the College's physical plant and the number of students. In 1874, the Steward's title, reflecting a more finance-oriented position, was changed to Bursar.

The Harvard Steward was elected by the Corporation to manage the residential operations of the College. The Steward purchased the College's food provisions and fuel, and supervised the Butler and kitchen staff. The Steward also acted as the financial liaison between the students and the Corporation, collecting tuition, and room and board fees. The early history of the position remains incomplete, but the College appointed its first Steward in the mid 1640s. The demands on the Steward grew over time with the expansion of the College's physical plant and the size of the student body. In 1874, the Steward's title, reflecting a more finance-oriented position, was changed to Bursar.