1957 - Several Harvard students began running small-scale businesses out of their dormitories providing students with a variety of items including beer mugs, class rings, and personalized stationary.

John Monro ‘35, Dean of Financial Aid, assigned Dustin M. Burke ‘52, Director of Student Employment to investigate the possibility of student businesses as a possible source of financial aid. Upon meeting with the student manager’s previously mentioned, considerable amount of interest was expressed for the establishment of a corporation.

In the late weeks of spring,  meetings between Gregory Stone, “the baron of porcelain steins,” attorney Harold Rosenwald ‘27,LL.B ‘30, and friend Dustin Burke solidified plans for the emergence of such a corporation.

The corporation gained rights to offer Harvard students the weekly linen service which had been traditionally provided by the University. {Offers for weekly clean sheets, towels, and pillow cases were sent out to incoming freshmen through a summer mailer. Of the incoming class, 90% accepted the offer thereby providing the necessary capital for the inception of the corporation.}

August of 1958, necessary paperwork was filed for authorization of the creation of a new company, the financial backbone of HSA, The Linen Agency.This was followed by the meeting of incorporation on September 10.

On December 13, the HSA charter was signed by the seven original incorporators: John Monro, Dustin Burke, Greg Stone, John Giannetti, Richard Dale, Theodore Elliott, and Harold Rosenwald.

The first Board of Directors meeting was held shortly thereafter. Based on a tripartite structure it consisted of five students, five alumni, and five University officials.

Greg Stone became the first HSA President and the first offices for Harvard Student Agencies were opened on the third floor of 120 Mount Auburn Street. At the end of the fiscal year, the offices of Harvard Student Agencies were moved to 4 Holyoke Street. 

HSA gained the concession rights to Harvard football games. Students of HSA now offered hot dogs, drinks, programs, and other food and novelty goodies to Crimson fans during the Saturday home games.

The University requested that HSA supervise the operations of several students in the College and Business School who were running charter flight service to Europe. In 1959 HSA took over the Cambridge franchise for YTC Universal and formed the Europe-by-Air Agency. It then recruited Oliver Koppel, son of the president of YTC and one of the original charter flight entrepreneurs to manage the agency.

Europe-by-Air then spawned the creation of Europe-by Car. While the former offered round trip summer flights to Europe and seven- week grand tours of Europe, the latter allowed travelers to purchase a car in Europe drive it about, and then have it shipped back to the States for resale at prices comparable to the original purchase price.

This fiscal year also saw the debut of the Student Calendar, a “weekly schedule of events and information, void of editorial content, delivered free to all student rooms and administrative offices in the University.”

Three other agencies emerged through August 31, 1959 including:

1. The Union News Stand which offered snacks, drinks, cigarettes, and other goods to chose from for students in the Freshman Union

2. The House Painting Agency which focused on skilled summer labor.

3.   The Sampler  , a booklet of money-saving coupons from merchants in Harvard Square and Boston, sold to frugal students.

HSA invested in the purchase of five Ollie Orbit Soft Ice Cream trucks to create summer employment. (The difficulty of maintenance and bad weather plagued the operation forcing HSA to liquidate the ice cream venture in the fall of 1961.

Europe-by -Air went on to influence the inception of the Import Agency in 1961 which offered students the opportunity to purchase foreign goods at a reduced price.

With a $6000 donation from the Carling Brewing Company, HSA expanded further by establishing the Catering Agency. Originally this agency provided services for Harvard faculty parties but then it quickly expanded to include events and parties throughout the Cambridge and Boston area.

The Information Gather Service (IGS), an agency that operated as a research organization was created in 1963 after the idea was advanced by Warren Berg, Chairman of the Board.

The Entertainment Agency also came to life. This agency placed student entertainers in jobs and earned a 10% booking fee.

HSA was moved its Garden Street offices to  993a Massachusetts Ave and the number of agencies reached an all-time high during this year. Nearly 150 students from the College, Business School, Law School, and GSAS were employed.

The Furniture Agency was established to resell furniture sold to HSA by the University.

The Lawn Care Agency was also established, providing “green, grassy goodness to its customers.”

Fruit Basket was also created.

The first Harvard Bartending Course was held “under the auspices of the Catering Agency.”

 HSA launched its first fundraising campaign in an attempt to raise $150,000 for entrepreneurial efforts.

Information Gathering Services (IGS) was performing so well that it gained national attention with a September article in Business Week.

John Merrill, former student manager of IGS was hired as a full-time manager. He more than doubled the agency's sales leading them to reach nearly $100,000 by the end of FYE 67.

The Computer Programming and Information Service Agency was established by Extension School student Sean Finucane.

Works were also underway for the creation of the TV Film Projects Agency.

Let's Go transformed into the Publishing Agency and began producing four works of "editorial genius." In addition, 65,000 copies of that year's edition of Let's Go: Europe were printed.

HSA publishing gave birth to the first version of Let's Go: America, How to Earn (A Lot of) Money in College, and Let's Go II: The Student Guide to Adventure.

HSA took an active role in the ensuing Civil Rights Movement. Pat Downey, working in the TV Film Projects Agency produced a 16mm color documentary on the difficulties of minorities faced in obtaining jobs. "With the assistance of a $50000 grant from the Ford Foundation, the film was distributed by a firm in Washington DC and shown to employers and minorities nationwide."

"College and the Black Student" was a 36 page book with the purpose of informing "black people of the expanding opportunities available for higher education and how to take advantage of these opportunities" was also published during this year, and over 15,000 copies were distributed throughout the country.

British West Indian Airways sponsored a 200 page Let's Go: Caribbean which covered more than thirty islands, cays, and rocks.

The Custodial Agency also came into existence providing janitorial services on a contract basis to firms and individuals.

The Publishing Agency supported two additional Publications: Let’s Go: USA for the second time and Cheap Eats: Inexpensive Dining in Greater Boston, a guide to over 100 restaurants in the Boston area.

After HSA obtained a ten-year, $104,000 loan from the University, it severed its ties with Gordon Linen Company, and established its own Laundry Plant behind the Harvard Stadium.

HSA’s Good Life Coffee House was opened for patrons on weekend evenings.

Charter Flights transformed into Travel Services, “becoming the largest distributor of ISICs on the East Coast outside of NYC.

How to Earn (A Lot Of) Money in College evolved into Making It: A Guide to Student Finances.

Boston Office Flowers became one of the new agencies, offering complete floral services to the Boston and Cambridge business and professional community.

The Leasing Agency appeared offering students the service of term-time rental of typewriters, TV’s and calculators.

The agency that was established during this fiscal year was the Instructional Services Agency, which boasted 60 student “swingin’ steps in its first Ballroom Dancing Course.

The first Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard was published.

The Charter Agency sent six buses to New York over Thanksgiving for “home-bound lovers of turkey.”

Let’s Go: Britain and Ireland was a huge success, shattering sale expectations.

The agencies were consolidated and a total of nine remained under the HSA umbrella. Refrigerator Rental, Rings and Leasing were consolidated under the Direct Sales Agency.

Let’s Go: France hit the shelves alongside another edition of Let’s Go: Europe.

The Instructional Services Agency experience wide-spread success as it educated students in the arts of Disco, Jazz, and Ballroom Dancing.

Let’s Go: Italy was published alongside another edition of Let’s Go: Europe.

HSA witnessed the birth of the Distribution Services Agency which delivered advertisements to student suites throughout the campus.

Alongside Let’s Go: USA and Let’s Go: Europe, Let’s Go: Greece, Israel and Egypt made its debut.

Publication of the Unoffical Guide to Life at Harvard reached its fifth year publishing anniversary.

Lynn Liakos was elected the first woman president of HSA. This was “the first year of computerization of HSA.” And assets exceeded liabilities.

HSA celebrated its 25th anniversary while The Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard was made available in a Graduate School edition.

Two new Let’s Go publications emerged: Let’s Go: Spain, Portugal, and Morocco and Let’s Go: California and the Pacific Northwest.

As new General Manager of HSA, Hope Spruance “inaugurated the annual retreat for the new management team” and Let’s Go introduced its new line of luggage.

Let’s Go: Mexico became the tenth member of the Let’s Go family.

The Travel agency for the first time offered Spring Break vacation packages to students. HSA celebrated its 30th Anniversary Birthday in Memorial Hall with over 300 past and present HSAers.

Let’s Go: California and the Pacific Northwest was split into two: Let’s Go: California and Hawaii and, Let’s Go: The Pacific Northwest and Alaska

HSA established the Harold Rosenwald Award to annually honor one manager for “outstanding ethics, business acumen, and concern for the corporation and its members.”

Let’s Go series added another two versions to its publications Let’s Go: New York and Let’s Go: London

Let’s Go expanded its publications further by bringing Let’s Go: Washington D.C. and Let’s Go: Germany, Austria and Switzerland into the mix.

“Travel acquired its first SABRE systems to become a fully functioning travel agency, and Type and Graphics developed a new division, Out-House Testing, for testing software.”

Let’s Go series was expanded to seventeen books with the addition of Let’s Go: Rome and Let’s Go: Paris

HSA found a new home on 53 Church Street and to display its connection to the University, adopted the Harvard crest with VE RI TAS on three books and three quill pens in the design.

The Union Store was renamed  “The Crib.”

  Let's Go: Thailand was finally published after the previous year’s political upheaval in the country caused the Let’s Go team to put the works for it on hold.

The Little Instruction Book to Life at Harvard was produced by HSA with the help of Dean of Freshmen, Elizabeth Nathans. It was a free book of advice from seniors to freshmen about how to enjoy Harvard to its fullest.

Let’s Go continued to expand its series. It added Let’s Go: Central America and Let’s Go: South Asia to the bunch. It also began its two-year project of Let’s Go: India and Nepal.

Out-House Testing began a Web design service and HSA created its own Internet site.

Now up to twenty-four guides, Let’s Go added Let’s Go: Ecuador and the Galapagos to the mix.

Let’s Go: Australia and Let’s Go: New Zealand were also published this year.

Let’s Go Greece and Turkey was divided into two separate guides for each country, while Let’s Go: South Africa hit the shelves.

Due to the strong status of summer rentals of microfridges, TV’s and fans, Campus Store split into Rentals and Retail.

Let’s Go continued its successful trek as it added Let’s Go: Boston, Let’s Go: Western Europe, Let’s Go: San Francisco and Let’s Go: Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador to its existing 29 titles.

A new beta-testing agency was opened under the title The Technology Management Program.

The online version of The Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard was launched.

New Let’s Go guides included Let’s Go: Amsterdam, Let’s Go: Barcelona, Let’s Go: Egypt, and Let’s Go: Southwest USA.

Publications branched out once again producing “The Guide to Getting In."

Let’s Go: Chile, Let’s Go: Costa Rica, Let’s Go: Thailand and Let’s Go: Hawaii, all joined the Let’s Go series.

This year was a year of expansion for several agencies:
        1. HSA storage agency was established to help students with their futons and boxes during move-out period
        2. Rentals added HSA water coolers to the list of rented items
        3. Cleaners re-priced and customized offerings for student groups and athletic teams
        4. Let’s Go advertising added online advertising to its list of accomplishments
        5. A new care package system was implemented by the Distribution Services.
        6. A pre-frosh guide was added to the list of Unofficial Publications.

Let’s Go added three new places to its guide series: Brazil, Japan, and Puerto Rico.

New Let’s Go Guides appeared for Peru, Ecuador, and Vietnam and Let’s Go changed its plans to biannual updates of the guides.

Small changes and additions within HSA led to a “whirlwind, rollercoaster year.”
        1. HSA Cleaners revamped the freshman linen program.
        2. Student interest in The Harvard Shop’s “One Ring” program doubled from 2005.
        3. Rentals started a grocery delivery service that brought snacks in bulk to students’ doors.
        4. HSA started hosting “Pub Nights” on Loker commons which would eventually persuade the University to turn the space into a permanent pub.

HSA welcomed the opening of Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub in the basement of Loker Commons.

HSA Publications saw the launch of the first-ever Unofficial Guide to Life at Boston University

HSA Distribution launched a partnership with The Harvard Crimson to exclusively distribute the student newspaper to kiosks around campus