A Living Memorial
It all began in the “little yellow house” at 78 Mt. Auburn Street, where, in the fall of 1966, the Institute of Politics was born. Envisioned as a “living” tribute to President John F. Kennedy, the institute, wrote Harvard Professor John Kenneth Galbraith at the time, can only be made “live with something that is itself alive. If it is to have life …, I conclude this must be a center for undergraduates.”

For thirty-five years, the Institute of Politics, now housed in the Littauer Building, has kept its promise, offering students the chance to interact with IOP Fellows and the scores of world leaders who pass through its doors. “…the hope of the institute is to really try and see,” remarked Senator Ted Kennedy at the IOP’s 35th anniversary celebration about his brother’s wish to inspire young people to serve in public office, “if that spark will be kindled in the hearts and the souls of students as they move on through. And I think if the institute is successful in being able to strike that spark, it’ll be the most fitting memorial to his name.”