The Harvard Connection

Founded in 1636 by the General Court of Massachusetts, it is the oldest University in America. A year after his American arrival in 1637, Rev. John Harvard (1607-1638) bequeathed half his estate and his library to the college. In 1639 the University was named after him. The campus is located in Cambridge which is now, like nearby Watertown, a suburb of Boston. The school has figured prominently in the history of the American Hastings' and related families such as: Adams, Bigelow, Coolidge, Fisher, Fiske, Goddard, Harrington, etc.

Princeton University

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Yale University

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* = Related by marriage

Deacon Walter Hastings (1631-1705): Oldest son of John Hastings, believed by some to be a brother/cousin of Thomas (unlikely). Deacon of the Cambridge church, he owned a house, circa 1683, on the present day campus of Harvard.

John Hastings (1656- ): Harvard Class of 1681. Son of Walter & Sarah (Mean) Hastings (see above) of Cambridge, Mass.

Walter Hastings (1679-1699): Harvard Class of 1700. Younger brother of John (see above). Died while a student.

Jonathan Hastings, Jr., Esq. of Cambridge, MA. Harvard Class of 1730.   Married Elizabeth Cotton.

* Rev David Goddard (1707-1754): Harvard Class of 1731. Son of Hon. Edward & Susannah (Stone) Goddard of Watertown, Mass. Great(2)-Uncle of Susan Goddard, wife of William Hastings of Jamaica, VT. Rev. Goddard became the Pastor of the Leicester Church.

Joseph Stacy Hastings (c1740- ?): Harvard Class of 1762. He was an ordained minister who fled the country during the Revolution because of his Royalist leanings. He returned after the war and became a grocer in Boston. Link not yet established.

Jonathan Hastings (c1748-1831): Harvard Class of 1768. He was from Boston, Mass. This Jonathan is possibly the same one listed as the College Steward from 1775 to 1779 and owner of the "Gannet" property which has been incorporated into the present day campus. Link not yet established.

Walter Hastings, M.D. (c1750-1782): Harvard Class of 1771. He was from Chelmsford, Mass. Link not yet established.

Maj. John Hastings (c1754-1839): Class of 1772. He was from Cambridge, Mass. He joined the Army in 1775 and served (Jackson's l6th Mass, 9th Mass, l4th Mass, etc.) throughout the war as a Captain. He war promoted (Brevet) to Major in 1783. Link not yet established.

Seth Hastings, Jr. (1762-1831): Harvard Class of 1782. Son of Seth & Hannah (Soden) Hastings of Mendon, Mass. He was a State Representative and later, a Congressman, from Mass.

* Daniel Marrett (1767-1836): Harvard Class of 1790. Husband of Dorcas Hastings, daughter of Maj Samuel & Lydia (Nelson) Hastings of Lincoln and Lexington, Mass. He was ordained in 1796 and became Pastor of the church in Standish, Maine, where they lived.

Rev. Wilkes Allen (1775-1845): Harvard Class of 1801. Son of Elnathan & Thankful (Hastings) Allen of Shrewsbury, Mass. He was ordained in 1803 and subsequently served as a Minister in Chelmsford.

* William Buckminster (1784-1865): Member of the Harvard Class of 1809 but left to fight in the "Great Rebellion." Husband of Lydia Nelson Hastings (1818-? ), daughter of Jonathan & Nancy (Adams) Hastings of Brighton & Dedham, Mass. He was a lawyer, Justice of the Peace and proprietor/editor of the Boston Cultivator. His son, William J. Buckminster, also went to Harvard (Class of 1835).

William Soden Hastings (1798-1831): Harvard Class of 1817. Son of Seth (see above). He followed his father's legislative career.

Charles Theodore Russell (1815-? ): Harvard Class of 1837. Brother of Thomas H. (see below). He settled in Cambridge where he became Mayor of that city. He later served many years in the House and Senate of the Massachusetts State Legislature.

John Chenery Farmer (1815-?): Harvard Member of the Class of 1839. Son of John P. & Lydia Ball (Chenery) Farmer of Boston. Died in his second academic year.

Ambrose Wellington (1819- ?): Harvard Class of 1841. Brother of Edward (see below). He established his legal practice in Boston and lived in Auburndale, Newton, Mass.

* Rev. James Blodgett (1819-1845): Harvard Class of 1841. Husband of Abby Wellington, daughter of Peter & Hephzibah (Hastings) Wellington of East Lexington, Mass. He went on to attend the Cambridge Divinity School (1843) and was subsequently ordained by the Unitarian Congregational Society. James & Abby died young, both of "consumption."

* Rev. John Farley Moors (c1820- ?): Harvard Class of 1842. Husband of Esther Westbrook Hastings, daughter of William & Mary (Dutton) Hastings of Warwick, Mass. He went on to attend the Cambridge Theological School (1845) and was subsequently ordained Pastor of the First Congregational (Unitarian) Church of Deerfield, Mass. They later settled in Greenfield where he ministered the Third Congregational Church.

* Henry Ware (c1821-? ): Harvard Class of 1843. Husband of Ellen Sophia Hastings, daughter of Oliver & Eliza (Bemis) Hastings of Cambridge, Mass.

Thomas Hastings Russell (1820-?): Harvard Class of 1843. Son of Charles & Persis (Hastings) Russell of Princeton, Mass. Practiced law in Boston and spent many years as a member of the Massachusetts State Legislature (as did his brother, Charles T., see above).

* Rev Rolla 0. Page (1821-? ): Harvard Class of 1845. Husband of Cornelia Hastings (1826- ), daughter of Jonathan & Nancy (Adams) Hastings of Lincoln, Mass. He was a Professor of Mathematics & Natural Philosophy at Geneva College, New York, and later Rector of St. Pauls church in Lewiston, NY.

John Adams Hastings (1824-1851): Harvard Class of 1846. Brother of Cornelia (see above). He was a school teacher.

Austin Jacobs Coolidge (1824- ?): Harvard Class of 1847 (BA) and 1850 (Law). Son of Josiah & Mary (Hastings) Coolidge of Watertown, Mass. He was a lawyer in Boston.

* John Andrew Henshaw (c1825- ): Class of 1847. Husband of Caroline Hastings, sister of Ellen S. (see above). He was a merchant in Boston and they made their home in Cambridge, Mass.

George Russell Hastings (1827-? ): Harvard Class of 1848. Son of Cyrus & Eliza (Bullard) Hastings of Boston. He was a first cousin of Charles T. Russell and his brother Thomas H. Russell (see above). He practiced law in Boston.

Elbridge Gerry Wellington (1826-1849): Member of the Harvard Class of 1851. Brother of Abby (see above). He left college for the healthy climate of California. He died there at the age of 23.

Edward Wellington (1831-1852): Member of the Harvard Class of c1853. Son of Maj Benjamin Oliver & Polly (Hastings) Wellington of East Lexington, Mass. Brother of Ambrose (see above). Died by accidental drowning while a student.

William Wirt Warren (1834- ?): Harvard Class of 1854 (BA) and 1856 (LLB). Son of William & Abigail Lymand (Banister) Warren of Brighton, Mass.   Brother of Webster F. (see below). He was the Town Clerk of Brighton circa 1866 (where he resided) and had a law office in Boston.

Louis Arnold (1833-? ): Harvard Class of 1855. Son of Joseph & Mary Ann (Hastings) Arnold of Roxbury, Mass. He was an Architect and Civil Engineer.

* Rev Edward Payson Thwing (1830- ?); Harvard Class of 1855. Husband of Susan Maria Waite, daughter of Edward & Mary Hastings (Mills) Waite of Portland, Maine. He was ordained at the St. Lawrence street Church, Portland, and later served as the head of the Hancock Street Church, Quincy, Mass.

Joseph Wilcox Hastings, M.D. (1834-? ): Harvard Class of 1856.   Son of Ozial Wilcox & Ruth Sarah (Stevens) Hastings. Served as a Regimental Surgeon for the 2lst & 23rd Mass. Regiments. Link not yet established.

George Willis Warren (c1838-? ): Harvard Class of 1860. Son of Gearge Washington & Harriet Atwood (Willis) Warren of Boston. After Harvard, he attended the Andover Theological Institution.

Webster Franklin Warren (1841- ?): Harvard Class of c1865 (LLB). Brother of William W. (see above).

William Frederick Bennett (1847-? ): Harvard Class of 1869. Son of Elias Dexter & Almira (Wellington) Bennett of Brighton, Mass.

Dr. Frank Austin Gooch: Harvard Class of 1872 (BA) and 1877 (Ph.D). Son of Joshua Goodale & Sarah Gates (Coolidge) Gooch, and grandson of Josiah & Mary (Hastings) Coolidge (see above).

Joseph Austin Coolidge (1859- ?): Harvard Class of 1882 (BA, cum laude) and MA, 1883. Cousin of Dr. Frank Gooch and nephew of Austin Coolidge (see above). Grandson of Josiah & Mary (Hastings) Coolidge.

Daniel Gott Hastings, M.D. (1861- ?): Harvard Class of 1888 (Medical School). He was the son of Francis Henry & Amelia (Gott) Hastings of Rochester, NY. Settled in Rochester where he became a "house officer" at Rochester City Hospital and then moved into private practice.

Robert Worthington Hastings, M.D. (c1871- ?): Harvard Class of 1893 (MA). He received his BA (1888) and MD (1893) from Amherst College. He was the son of Dr. Joseph (see above). Link not yet established.

Joseph Arthur Coolidge (1888-? ): Harvard Class of 1910 (BS). Son of Joseph Austin & Anna (McClure) Coolidge and great-grandson of Josiah & Mary (Hastings) Coolidge.  Settled in Cambridge and became a Professor at Northeastern College.

George Everett Hastings (1878- ?): Harvard Class of 1917 (MA) and 1918 (PhD). Priviously he attended Princeton, BA, 1904, and MA, 1912. Son of Francis Luellen & Matilda Ann (Fulmer) Hastings of Fredericktown, PA. During his career he was a Professor of English at the Univ. of Utah, Univ. of Arkansas and Univ. of Texas. Member of Phi Betta Kappa academic society. Settled in Fayetteville, AK. Link not yet established.

Cedric Munroe Hastings (1903- ?): Harvard Class of c1925. Son of Harry Payson & Lucy B. (Mc Alpine) Hastings of Framingham, Mass.

Wilmot Reed Hastings (1935- ): Harvard Class of 1957 (BA, magna cum laude) and LLB (law degree) 1961, magna cum laude. He also attended the University of Paris, 1957-58.  Son of Abner Horace & Florence L, (Hylan) Hastings. Served as the Editor of the Harvard Law Review and in 1968 he became Deputy Attorney General of Massachusetts.  In 1969 he became Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State and the next year he became General Counsel of Health, Education and Welfare. He returned to private law practice in 1973 and is now a partner in the firm of Bingham, Dana & Gould of Boston. Link not yet established.

YALE

Charles Sheldon Hastings (1848-1932):  Graduated from Yale in 1878 with a Ph.D in Physics.

James Robert Judd, M.D. (1876-1947):  Yale, Class of 1897.   Son of Albert F. & Agnes Hall (Boyd) Judd of Hawaii. 

Eliakim Hastings Moore (1862- ?):  Graduated from Yale in 1885 with a Ph.D in Mathematics.  Link, if any, not yet established.

Other Ancestors of my line

Rev. Henry Dunster (1609-1659): Graduate of Magdalene Coll., Cambridge, England. He came to America is 1640 and became the first President of Harvard Univ. (1640-1654). He was the an uncle of Mary Dunster who m. Major Simon Willard.

**Other Universities of relevance to the family include: Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Stanford, Amherst College, Princeton, M.I.T., Hamilton College (NY)