The beautiful buildings and grand libraries that dot prestigious university campuses often hide something darker. Rich people and powerful companies have given lots of money to start and grow these schools — money that sometimes came from sources that would shock many people.
When I looked deeper into university funding history, I found that many top schools started with money from things like slavery, drugs, weapons, and unfair business practices. Some schools have admitted this past and tried to make it right, while others stay quiet about where their first dollars came from. This list shows 15 well-known universities and the surprising truth about the dark money that helped create them.
Harvard University
Harvard got much of its early money from slave traders and colonial businesses that hurt native people. In the 1600s, the Perkins family gave lots of money to Harvard – money they made from selling opium in China. The university also took donations from people who owned slave ships. Harvard still has many buildings named after these people today. The school recently started studying its connections to slavery and promised to spend money to make things better.
Yale University
Yale’s famous buildings were built partly with money from the slave trade. The Stiles family, who gave lots of money to start Yale, made their fortune from slave trading ships. Yale also got money from British colonial companies that took resources from India and China. The university kept taking money from companies that supported South African apartheid until the 1980s. Yale now talks openly about this past but still benefits from that early dark money.
Stanford University
Leland Stanford made his money through very unfair railroad deals and using Chinese workers in dangerous conditions. He paid these workers much less than white workers, and many died building his railroads. This money helped start Stanford University in 1885. The university also took money from companies that made weapons during several wars. Stanford recently started telling students about this history but keeps Leland Stanford’s name.
Princeton University
Princeton’s first buildings were built by enslaved people, and the school got lots of money from southern plantation owners. The university also accepted donations from companies that helped Nazi Germany before World War II. Many of Princeton’s early leaders owned slaves themselves. The school now has a project to study this past but still uses symbols from that time.
Columbia University
Columbia grew rich from donations by slave traders and colonial merchants who sold opium in Asia. The university’s early leaders made money from businesses that treated workers badly in New York. Columbia also got money from companies that helped South Africa’s apartheid government. The school still has not fully dealt with how this dark money shaped its growth.
MIT
MIT’s first big donations came from weapons makers and companies that hurt the environment. The school worked closely with companies that made dangerous chemicals during wars. MIT also got money from groups that supported dictators in South America. Today, the school still takes money from weapons companies and keeps many research details secret.
Duke University
The Duke family made their money from tobacco farms that used unfair labor practices. They also owned companies that hurt small farmers and used child workers. This money helped build Duke University’s campus. The school took donations from segregationists in the 1950s and 1960s. Duke now studies this history but keeps the family name.
University of Pennsylvania
Penn got early money from slave traders and unfair property deals that hurt poor people. The school worked with companies that made dangerous products and hid the health risks. Penn also accepted donations from people who made money through colonial trading companies. The university still has not fully shared all the details about this past.
Brown University
Brown’s founders made money directly from the slave trade and owned many enslaved people. The university’s first building was built by enslaved workers. Brown also took money from companies that supported South Africa’s apartheid system. The school was one of the first to study its slavery connections but still benefited from that wealth.
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins himself made money from businesses that used slave labor, despite claims he was against slavery. The university later took donations from companies that tested dangerous medicines on people without telling them. Hopkins also got money from groups that supported racial segregation. The school recently started being more open about this past.
Northwestern University
Northwestern’s early money came from stealing land from Native American tribes. The school also took donations from companies that hurt the environment and workers. Northwestern worked with groups that supported racist policies in the 1900s. The university now studies this history but keeps using money from similar sources.
Vanderbilt University
The Vanderbilt family made their fortune through unfair business deals and hurting workers’ unions. They used this money to start the university and control how it grew. Vanderbilt also took money from segregationists and companies that hurt the environment. The school still celebrates the family name despite this past.
Rice University
William Rice made his money through unfair cotton trading that hurt small farmers. The university later took donations from oil companies that damaged the environment and ignored safety rules. Rice also worked with groups that supported segregation in Texas. The school has not fully studied this dark history.
Georgetown University
Georgetown openly sold enslaved people to pay its debts in 1838. The school took money from slave owners and companies that used unfair labor practices. Georgetown also accepted donations from groups that supported colonial rule in other countries. The university now tries to help descendants of those enslaved people.
University of Chicago
Early donations to Chicago came from companies that used child labor and broke worker safety rules. The university took money from groups that supported racist housing policies. Chicago also worked with organizations that helped oppressive governments. The school now studies some of this past but not all of it.
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