The New York Times *hearts* Harvard

by Jody Kelman
Spring 2007

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Nothing says old money — er, “I love you” — like a New York Times wedding announcement. But with du Ponts and Rockefellers scarce, the Times has been filling out the pages with the next-best elite pedigree: holders of a Harvard diploma. Our recent investigation of 2006’s announcements found that an astonishing one out of every six couplings memorialized by the paper involved a Harvard bride or groom—or, yes, both. So what do these marriages say about Harvard (and America, and the Times)? We did some further analysis.

1/1,800
Ratio of weddings reported by the New York Times to the total number of weddings in the U.S. in 2006

1/12
Ratio of Harvard weddings reported by the New York Times to the estimated total number of Harvard weddings in the U.S. in 2006

29
Percentage of Harvard weddings incorporating Jewish traditions

11
Percentage of Harvard weddings incorporating Episcopalian traditions

3
Percentage of the American population today that is either Jewish or Episcopalian

41
Percentage of Harvardians featured who married another Harvardian

59
Percentage of Harvard men featured who married non-Harvard partners

60
Percentage of Harvard women featured who married non-Harvard partners

41
Percentage of Harvard men who married non-Ivy League partners

46
Percentage of Harvard women who married non-Ivy League partners

25
Average age at which an American woman first marries

31
Average age when Harvard women featured first marry

26
Average age at which an American man first marries

32
Average age when Harvard men featured first marry

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