100 years ago, on May 13, 1920, Harvard sophomore Cyril Wilcox died by suicide.

Over the next few weeks, the Harvard administration formed a "Secret Court" to interrogate, threaten, and expel gay students.

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2002/11/21/the-secret-court-of-1920-at/

In my museums and archives seminar, students visited @HarvardArchives and looked at both the original documents from the Secret Court and the redacted photocopies that were provided to Amit Paley in 2002. We examined the boxes and folders as well as the papers.

By the time the Secret Court was finished, it had expelled 8 students (one of whom died by suicide in the Harvard infirmary) and fired a lecturer. When the students tried to enroll elsewhere, Harvard sent letters of condemnation instead of transcripts.

Since 2002, many students have asked Harvard to award the expelled students posthumous diplomas. Harvard administrators have declined, arguing that they do not award posthumous degrees except in cases where a student completed all degree requirements but died before Commencement.

This is not true.

Harvard awarded posthumous diplomas to students who died in the First World War, whether they had completed degree requirements or not.

Harvard has awarded unearned undergrad degrees for bad reasons.

Example: Alfred Rhett of South Carolina had his feelings hurt by anti- Fugitive Slave Act demonstrations in 1850 and withdrew. His daddy asked Harvard for the degree and got it. https://twitter.com/cgdhopkins/status/1108085337052663811?s=20

In 1920, Harvard sent vile letters to the families of expelled students, warning them of their sons' "atrocious habits" and promising to give fuller details in person if necessary.

But the expelled students also wrote letters. In July 1920, one wrote a letter to the Dean explaining why he had declined to name other students, even though he knew "nearly fifty."

It's a really interesting letter — 30pgs with a lot of details about gay social life at Harvard.