Exploring the Old Campus

I was able to explore the old campus, where all freshmen of Yale are housed.

Below is the statue of Nathan Hale, the U.S.'s first and worst spy. During the Revolution, Nathan Hale, a graduate of Yale (his last name and Yale rhyme), was tasked by George Washington to spy on Loyalists in New York. However, as legend goes, he was discovered only a week into his assignment and was hanged. He was only 21 years old. Hale's final words are remembered as “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” However, there was no official record of Hale's final words, and it is debated if he actually said this.

Below is a statue with one interesting characteristic. If you pay attention to the toe of this figure, you can see that the toe has a golden tint to it. There is a tradition at Yale University that prospective “Yalies” should rub the toe of the Theodore Dwight Woolsey statue, class of 1820 and former president of Yale University, for luck. When I asked the tour guide whether or not it works, she refused to answer my question.