Weekly Column: Cambridge in the News

Pick up any newspaper, turn on any cable news network or visit any internet news site and one town will likely be front and center: Cambridge, Massachusetts.

A few days ago, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested at his house for disorderly conduct. Gates, an African-American, claimed he was arrested for being "black in America." The incident set off a firestorm of national controversy. In a nationally-televised press conference, President Obama said the police acted "stupidly" in making the arrest. Meanwhile, police groups have expressed outrage that the president would question the arresting officer. Even comedian Bill Cosby weighed in and said the president should wait to see what the investigation shows.

While Cambridge probably doesn't believe in the theory that there is no such thing as bad press, it likely will be happy when the controversy settles down. Despite the media coverage, Cambridge remains one of the great small cities in America.

The city of Cambridge is home to 101,000 residents and two world-class colleges. It began as "Newe Towne" when a group of puritan colonists began settling there in 1632. Over the years it grew and changed names, becoming "Cambridge." During the Industrial Revolution, the city grew to 120,000. But with the decline of its industrial base after World War II, the city fell back on its other anchor: higher education.

In 1636, Harvard was founded, making it the oldest college in America. Originally, it was called "New College." But when a clergyman named John Harvard bequethed his library to the school, the name was changed.

During the nearly four centuries of its existence, Harvard has transformed the way college education is conducted. Under the leadership of President Charles Eliot, the school became focused not only on teaching but on research. Electives were introduced, as well as entrance exams. All this soon became the model for other colleges around the country.

Over the years, the school has served as a crossroads of American history. Visitors taking tours of Harvard Yard today are told much of this history: John Adams lived in Massachusetts Hall, FDR's name is listed on the wall at Memorial Church and Matt Damon wrote the screenplay for "Good Will Hunting" while living in Matthews Hall. Students take classes in buildings like Emerson, named for the writer and Harvard professor Ralph Waldo Emerson. And when visitors stroll down to the Charles River, they do so on a street called JFK.

Today, Harvard is also one of the most powerful corporate entities in the world. It's endowment is estimated to be the world's third largest among non-profits, behind only The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Catholic Church.

Just beyond Harvard Yard is Harvard Square. Here, visitors can explore shops and restaurants. One local institution is Mr. Bartley's, a hamburger place that has been serving Harvard students since the mid 1960s. It's not far from the Wadsworth House, where George Washington established his first headquarters during the Revolutionary War.

Two stops away on the subway is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT was founded in the 1960s in response to the growing industrial revolution. For years, it has produced some of the world's greatest scientists and engineers and continues to do so today.

So while the controversy over Henry Louis Gates continues, it seems likely that once it dies down Cambridge will still be in the news. Only then it will be for all that is good about Cambridge.