A Legacy Revealed

Louis Agassiz was a professor at Harvard University in the 19th century. He originally became famous for his work proving ice ages existed. But when he arrived to teach at Harvard, his work took a turn and he began promoting the idea of polygenism — a theory used to justify racism.

Show Notes

Louis Agassiz was a professor at Harvard University in the 19th century. He originally became famous for his work proving ice ages existed. But when he arrived to teach at Harvard, his work took a turn and he began promoting the idea of polygenism — a theory used to justify racism. 

In this episode, we delve into how the Harvard name and platform allowed pseudoscience to spread, and the legacy that Louis Agassiz left on our campus to this day.

Further information:

What is A Legacy Revealed?

“A Legacy Revealed” is a podcast that dives into the roles that slavery and discrimination have played in shaping Harvard University over its 400 year-long history. Hosted by Raquel Coronell Uribe and Six Yu, this 6-part series will invite experts from a variety of fields to answer some of the most compelling questions surrounding Harvard’s historical legacy, as well as its present day ramifications. All episodes available May 1st. Presented by the Harvard Crimson. Produced and edited by Lara Dada, Zing Gee, and Thomas Maisonneuve. Podcast art by Madison Shirazi. Music by Dash Chin.