Plaque to honor slaves who once lived, worked at Harvard

A passer-by walks near a newly unveiled plaque attached to Wadsworth House, Wednesday, April 6, 2016, on the campus of Harvard University that honors four slaves that had been owned by and worked for Harvard's past presidents, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (The Associated Press)

prev next

A newly unveiled plaque that honors four slaves that had been owned by and worked for Harvard's past presidents, is attached to Wadsworth House, on the campus of Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass., Wednesday, April 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (The Associated Press)

Melissa Smith, of Cambridge, Mass., left, a Harvard Law School administrator, and Kyle Courtney, of Hanover, Mass., right, a copyright advisor at Harvard, examine a newly unveiled plaque, Wednesday, April 6, 2016, at Harvard's Wadsworth House, on the school's campus, in Cambridge, Mass. The plaque honors four slaves that had been owned by and worked for Harvard's past presidents. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) (The Associated Press)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard's president is dedicating a plaque in Harvard Yard to the slaves who played a role in the university's history.

The college says that until recently, those slaves and their contributions have been "all but invisible" on the campus.

University President Drew Faust is to be joined by members of Congress at a dedication ceremony Wednesday morning.

Faust announced last week in an op-ed in the student newspaper that the nearly 400-year-old institution would install the plaque at a former home for college presidents to recognize the slaves who lived and worked there. Slavery was abolished in Massachusetts in 1783.

Harvard also plans to host a conference on universities and slavery next year.