It takes its name from Increase Mather, a Harvard alumnus and prominent Puritan minister in the Massachusetts Bay Colony who served as the University's president from 1685 to 1692.

The architectural firm that designed Mather House, Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott, is also responsible for the Art Institute of Chicago, the original campus of Stanford University (along with Frederick Law Olmsted), the Ames Building, and the completion of Boston's Trinity Church.

The games include a pancake-eating contest, foosball, a dining hall version of Iron Chef, and hot pepper-eating, as well as a wiffle ball home run derby, ping pong, Wii sports, dodgeball, and boggle.

The tournament is named after Louie's Superette, a convenience store across the street from Mather House, and a large quantity of alcohol is awarded to the winning team at the end of the spring semester.

[4] Other notable alumni include Michael Kinsley,[5] David Laibson, Nicholas Ciarelli, Sarah Haskins, Kimberly Marten, and Luis Ubiñas.