During the period when the United States governed the Philippines from 1899 to 1946, the definition of what counted as a “U.S. university” briefly extended beyond the North American mainland. This created an unusual situation where institutions in U.S.-controlled territories could be considered within the same national framework as those in the continental United States. Within that context, Harvard University, established in 1636 and long regarded as the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, was technically no longer the oldest under U.S. jurisdiction. That distinction shifted to the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, which had been founded in 1611 during the Spanish colonial era and predated Harvard by 25 years. However, this “loss” of status depends entirely on how one defines the United States and its institutions. Harvard remained the oldest university within the mainland United States, while the University of Santo Tomas was part of a different historical and cultural system that only fell under American control during the Philippine-American period. Once the Philippines gained independence in 1946, Harvard resumed its uncontested position as the oldest university in the United States. #archaeohistories