Gifts
Give a gift to a distinguished guest.
Whether you are looking to purchase a unique Harvard gift or want to know more about protocols for receiving and giving gifts, the University Marshal’s Office can help you. Use the form below to place your order, or access the gift order form on a separate page.
Order a Gift
We offer a selection of Harvard-themed gifts available for purchase by Harvard affiliates. A 33-digit billing code is required to complete the purchase order below, and purchases are processed within two weeks of your order date. Please be aware of Harvard University policies on gifts and celebratory events for employees and nonemployees.
Looking for personalization?
Some items can be custom ordered from the manufacturer for an additional fee. See order form for details. Most custom orders require a lead time of three weeks or more. Email our team with any questions about ordering custom gifts from one of our vendors.
If your gift requires custom engraving on short notice, Rader’s Engraving is a trusted source for personalization and also stocks plaques, awards, and gift items at their Downtown Crossing location. The Marshal’s Office is unable to coordinate aftermarket engraving services on your behalf, but our team is happy to fulfill your stock gift order right away so that you have time to arrange engraving services separately.
Gift Protocol
When giving a gift in a corporate or international setting, it is important to consider the cultural implications of the gift item (e.g. value, color, and symbolism), as well as the practical implications (e.g. the feasibility of packing the item in a suitcase). The manner in which a gift is presented or received is also important: for example, using two hands to give or receive an item is considered polite in many countries in Asia.
There are a number of guides to corporate and international gift-giving protocol available through the Harvard Library, including Roger Axtell’s Do’s and Taboos of Hosting International Visitors and Dawn Bryan’s The Art and Etiquette of Gift Giving. Marshal’s Office staff is also happy to advise on gift giving.
