Quincy House is one of the twelve upperclass residential houses of Harvard University, located on Plympton Street between Harvard Yard and the Charles River. Quincy House was named after Josiah Quincy III (1772–1864), president of Harvard from 1829 to 1845. It is the second largest of the twelve undergraduate houses. Its residents, known as "penguins," live in the house during their sophomore through senior years. Beginning in the summer of 2012, part of Quincy House will undergo renovation as the first test project in a later college-wide renewal program.
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Named for Josiah Quincy III (1772-1864), President of Harvard from 1829 to 1845, and also a mayor of Boston, congressman, judge, businessman, and author, Quincy House officially opened in September 1959. New Quincy, a restrained and unpretentious example of modern architecture, was designed by the distinguished Boston firm of Shepley,Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbott.
Quincy House symbolizes the new Harvard, as the first House to be built after the original seven river Houses of the early 1930s under President Lowell. There are three buildings in which Quincy students are housed: Old Quincy, New Quincy, and DeWolfe St. housing. Old Quincy, a neo-Georgian building, originally called Mather Hall and part of Leverett House until 1960, was constructed in 1929-30 with finely detailed suites, high ceilings, carved moldings and fireplaces. Until the construction of New Quincy necessitated their removal, the now open East Side was closed by a one-story range of squash courts. New Quincy is an eight-story high-rise that combines modern design and convenience with wonderful views of its more traditional neighborhood. It consists of a two- story commons wing along Mt. Auburn Street, a nine-story main residence unit with split level suites having splendid views, and the almost completely detached raised House Library, the placement of which adds a second interior court to the series of courtyards and gardens that are a distinctive part of the House. The 20 DeWolfe St. residence hall, a brick structure with a double mansard roof of lead-coated copper. The 10 and 20 DeWolfe St. residences are shared with Leverett House and Kirkland House.[1]
Quincy House recently adopted the penguin as its mascot. Quincy's house colors are red, gold, and black.
Quincy House maintains an affiliation with Branford College at Yale University.
At the beginning of every year, Quincy House hosts a field day in which second, third, and fourth year students compete against each other. Additionally, Quincy Assassins is an annual event in which students are assigned another house member to assassinate. Players assassinate this person with a Nerf gun. Another newly implemented tradition is the talent show.
On Harvard Housing Day, Quincy House students storm the yard with their house flag and someone in a penguin suit. The 2011 theme for Quincy was "Quinception" inspired by the film Inception.
Quincy House Masters are Lee and Deborah Gehrke. Lee is the Hermann von Helmholtz Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at MIT, and Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School. The Masters are actively involved in student life and can often be found dining with students and holding receptions in their penthouse in New Quincy. House events are coordinated by the Quincy House Committee, or Hoco. The committee operates separately from the Harvard Undergraduate Council (UC), to organize student events and manage funding. The HoCo, as with the other student government organizations in the Houses, are funded by the UC.
There are several aspects of the house that make it unique from the other Harvard houses. Quincy Grille is a student-run grille that is popular among students. They serve the infamous Ronnie Burger and are open Wednesday through Saturday nights. Quincy house library is called the "Qube" which is in reference to its cube shape. The Qube has one of the best comic book collections in Harvard. The dining hall is unrestricted except to first-year students and on Thursday night for Community Dinner. Large glass walls surround the dining hall allowing for natural light and beautiful views of the house, Mt. Auburn Street, and sunsets. The dining hall interior is also unique as it has been said to have a "ski lodge" feel and it also features a large modern art mural. The Junior Common Room is a popular location for homework and gatherings; Quincy students are the only ones to have swipe access however. The lobby also features pool and ping-pong tables which add to the social nature of the house. The House also has a pottery studio, a dance studio, and a gym.
Quincy House is called "The People's House" because it is a popular place for students to eat and have student groups meet due to its central location.
Famous Quincy alumni include New York Times columnist Ross Douthat[1], former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, director Rob Cohen, Nelson Denis, journalist Lou Dobbs, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, Jamie Gorelick, first Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, Ron Kind, Peter Sagal, Suzanne Malveaux, Anthony Brown, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, and Robert Kirshner.
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