#Amazeballs: I got schooled today at Harvard on my family history!
Holy. Friggen. Crapsicles. Nerderinos ... Amazing. Amazing. Amazing day.
Hold on I need a song to go with this post ...
K, so I'm currently in town filming season 3 of VidBlogger Nation - and today, for the Insider Trading episode I took a tour at Harvard. Now, ALLLLLLLLLLL my life growing up, I heard about Harvard, and how my great great great whatever grandfather was the 4th President.
See, my mom's maiden name is H-o-a-r. Pronounced as you would think - here is her Facebook page ...
See in the lower left hand corner beneath like and comment?
Yep - true story.
I grew up estranged from the people my dad grew up with (read more on that here), but my mom's parents aka my only real grandparents were actually pretty rad people. They had their moments, certainly, but because my other grandparents were total assholes, they always made sure my brother and I were given that little bit of "extra" love, and they reminded us how "special" we really were.
My grandfather was a BIIIGGGG history buff, and if he got your ear for more than 5 minutes, he would have told you ALLLLLLL about our family history.
The Hoars were some of the most prominent settlers way way way back in the day. They totes used to kick it with Thoreau, and Emerson, and were big big big influencers.
So, my grandparents didn't just want my brother and I to think we were "special" because we were pooped on by my dad's parents - it was more that we were "special" because of our history.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU COME FROM, he would exclaim.
We were some of the most influential and free thinking people in this country!! BIG BIG BIG, HUGE influencers.
Saying this of course to an 8 year old will only get you one thing ... a mighty long yawn.
They told us growing up all about how deep rooted our family history is here in Boston.
(I can hear my grandfather's voice now ...) In fact, all of the presidents of Harvard have a house named after them - except Leonard. Harvard was against having a house on campus called the Hoar House. They instead gave Leonard a statue on campus.
Rad, I thought ... filed that away in the back of my noggin. This story was again told to us HUNDREDS of times growing up, (I even posted on it back in December) and when I was here a few weeks ago, I went looking for the bust.
I tore apart the campus, researched online - and very literally found nothing of a statue or bust on Leonard.
Total lamesauce, I thought. But my grandfather was so passionate about this story - there is NO WAY he was lying.
Cue this afternoon.
I am on the tour, at very literally the last stop, the statue of John Harvard.
There are 3 lies about this statue, can anyone tell me what they are?
The group looks confused, and no one says anything.
The first fact - this isn't actually John Harvard. It's a gentleman by the name of Sherman Hoar. He was a descendent of Leonard Hoar, the 4th president of the University, and he was used as a model for John Harvard as there were no known images of Harvard.
I. Shit. You. Not.
I RANNDOOOMMMLLLLYYYY took this tour today thinking it would make a rad episode, and go along with the storyline, and POOF just like that, I got schooled on my own family history.
This was what my grandfather was talking about!!!
Amazeballs. Amazeballs. Amazeballs.
And it's all on film, and will be shown in the Insider Trading episode of VidBlogger Nation.
Holy crap. Holy crap. Holy crap.
Click here to read more about the statue.
and click here to read more about The Hoars. Those duderinos really got around back in the day.
#thatisall
