For some twenty years from 1912 there was an exchange scheme between Harvard University and Colorado College (with some other western colleges), under which for some weeks each year a Harvard professor would visit Colorado College, and every so often a member of Colorado College faculty would spend a semester at Harvard to carry out teaching and research. Under this scheme Guy Albright visited Harvard in 1913, while the Harvard mathematicians who visited Colorado College were George Birkhoff in 1924-5, and the potential theorist Oliver Kellogg (1878-1932).

George D Birkhoff (1884-1944) was, in the words of the Dictionary of Scientific Biography, "very generally regarded, both in the United States and abroad, as the leading American mathematician of his day". At the time of his stay at Colorado College he was carrying out research into dynamical systems. During his visit in October-November 1924 he gave a series of five public lectures on 'The origin, nature and influence of relativity', and one on 'Mathematics and art', as well as teaching mathematics classes including "certain more technical classes for advanced students".