Harvard’s Premier Service Organization
The Crimson Key Society is Harvard University’s premier community service organization. We are a completely student run group that works to make the Harvard community as welcoming as possible for visitors and students alike. Our mission is to make our campus more accessible for everyone, whether it is your first visit or your 50th reunion. To this end, the members of CKS guide tours, answer questions, and host events for incoming first-years, students’ families, and all those visiting Harvard. We aim to educate visitors on our rich history, familiarize them with our campus, and have them engage with what we believe is at the heart of Harvard – the students.
Throughout the year, CKS leads daily campus tours and participates in Project TEACH Harvard’s Official College and Career Awareness Program provided to Cambridge Public Schools seventh-graders and Boston Public Schools seventh-graders who attend a school in Allston-Brighton. The Crimson Key Society also coordinates and runs Orientation for the incoming first-years each fall, ushers Commencement services each spring, and helps organize and staff a host of campus-wide activities, including Arts First, First-Year Family Weekends, Junior Family Weekend, and more.
What’s more exciting than this crew at the Johnnies award show?
Members welcoming First Year students at Move-In day!
Members dressed in their Sunday best to help out at First-Year Convocation
Members getting groovy at Love Story screening!
Members coming to support the First Year Talent Show!
History
Founded on April 14th, 1948, the Crimson Key Society was formed to provide the Harvard Athletic Association with an organization responsible for meeting incoming athletic teams and providing accommodations for their members. Quickly expanding, CKS consisted of three subcommittees by 1952. The Athletic Committee maintained its ties to Harvard Athletics. The Orientation Committee offered campus tours to entering first-years and organized opening mixers; later in the year, they gave tours of the upperclassmen houses to first-years. The Undergraduate Schools Committee, which was involved with Harvard Clubs nationwide, recruited prospective students and housed them during campus visits. This committee also published Key’s first paper, affectionately called Keystone, as well as the Extra-Curricular Activities Bulletin, containing dates and times of the programs of all undergraduate organizations, sports events of special interest to the college, and current movies.
Originally, CKS also sponsored All-College Weekend, a festival in early May that sought to bring the four classes of Harvard together in a unique extravaganza that included a regatta, a square dance, and a masquerade ball. By 1955, however, this event was abandoned and campus tours became the focus of Key’s efforts.
Today’s Crimson Key Society differs from that of 60 years ago, but its mission has not changed. Though CKS no longer recruits students, it still organizes Orientation for the first-years alongside the Dean of Students Office. As for tours, the Crimson Key Society continues to lead historical tours of the Harvard University campus for both official University guests, through the Marshal’s Office, and general visitors to the University, through the Information Center. Throughout the year, CKS also offers special tours during reunions, helps the Dean of Students Office with First-Year and Junior Family Weekends, and assists the University in various capacities during both Commencement Week and the annual Arts First celebration.