Charles William Eliot Medal

William Clark Noble’s plaster cast represents a design for the reverse of a medal honoring Charles William Eliot (1834-1926), who served as president of Harvard University from 1869 to 1909 (see 1927.12.1). Eliot’s major accomplishments include editing the Harvard Classics and spearheading the elective system, which allowed students greater freedom in course selection. The quotation featured on the medal design may have come from Eliot’s often quoted public remarks.