History of the Harvard Prize Book
The Harvard Prize Book Program was originated by Harvard Alumni in 1910 as part of an effort to attract the attention of talented young students to the opportunities in Cambridge. In its first years, a Prize Book was awarded at only a handful of schools in the New England area. Today, more than 1,700 Prize Books, sponsored by local Harvard alumni, are awarded in schools all over the world.
As defined by the Harvard Alumni Association, the Prize Book is awaded to the outstanding student in the next to graduating class who "displays excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with acheivement in other fields." The winners of this award, through their intelligence and variety of achievement, exemplify Harvard's concern for excellence.