▁Harvard ’ s ▁president ▁at ▁comm enc ement ▁cer emon ies ▁since ▁ 1 7 7 0 . ▁Car ver ▁Chair ▁— ▁a ▁four - square ▁turned ▁chair ▁( New ▁England , ▁ca . ▁ 1 6 3 0 - 1 6 5 7 ; ▁exhib ited ▁at ▁Pil gr im ▁Hall ▁Museum ); ▁tradition ally ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁P ly mouth ▁Col ony ▁governor ▁ ▁John ▁Car ver ▁( pre - 1 5 8 4 - 1 6 2 1 ); ▁recently ▁its ▁association ▁with ▁Car ver ▁has ▁been ▁disc ount ed , ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁determined ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁of ▁white ▁ash , ▁native ▁to ▁New ▁England , ▁and ▁this ▁( t ogether ▁with ▁Car ver ’ s ▁death ▁date , ▁plus ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁furn iture ▁was ▁not ▁made ▁at ▁P ly mouth ▁Col ony ▁until ▁years ▁later ) ▁indicate ▁that ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁have ▁owned ▁it . ▁A ▁" Car ver ▁chair " ▁is ▁character ized ▁by ▁having ▁three ▁vertical ▁and ▁three ▁horizontal ▁sp ind les ▁in ▁the ▁back , ▁but ▁no ▁other ▁turned ▁sp ind les ▁elsewhere . ▁ ▁B rew ster ▁Chair ▁— ▁a ▁four - square ▁turned ▁chair ▁( Eng land ▁or ▁New ▁England , ▁ca . ▁ 1 6 3 0 - 1 6 7 0 ; ▁exhib ited ▁at ▁Pil gr im ▁Hall ▁Museum ); ▁tradition ally ▁associated ▁with ▁Pil gr im ▁elder ▁William ▁B rew ster ▁( ca . ▁ 1 5 6 6 - 1 6 4 4 ). ▁"