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School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences celebrates its 50th anniversary

Anita Desai, novelist and professor of writing, Institute Professor John Harbison of music, and poet Louise Gl��ck, the Preston S. Parrish '41 Third Century Lecturer at Williams College, participate in the SHASS panel "How do artists tell their stories?"
Anita Desai, novelist and professor of writing, Institute Professor John Harbison of music, and poet Louise Gl��ck, the Preston S. Parrish '41 Third Century Lecturer at Williams College, participate in the SHASS panel "How do artists tell their stories?"
Photo / Donna Coveney
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Louise Gl��ck uses her hands, as well as her words, to get her meaning across during the SHASS panel.
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Louise Gl��ck uses her hands, as well as her words, to get her meaning across during the SHASS panel.
Photo / Donna Coveney
Jane Pickering, director of the MIT Museum (left) took a moment to greet her former professor, Dame Gillian Beer (right), during the SHASS celebration. Professor Rosalind Williams looks on.
Jane Pickering, director of the MIT Museum (left) took a moment to greet her former professor, Dame Gillian Beer (right), during the SHASS celebration. Professor Rosalind Williams looks on.
Photo / Donna Coveney
Evelyn Fox Keller, professor of history and philosophy in the Program for Science, Technology, and Society (left), speaks with President Vest and his wife, Rebecca Vest.
Evelyn Fox Keller, professor of history and philosophy in the Program for Science, Technology, and Society (left), speaks with President Vest and his wife, Rebecca Vest.
Photo / Laura Wulf
Celebrants tripped the light fantastic at the gala held in the Museum of Fine Arts last weekend. Three hundred sixty faculty and supporters attended the special dinner party and dance marking the SHASS 50th anniversary. The six-piece Jump Street Band provided the music in the museum's west wing. The event was the climax of a two-day celebration with four colloquia featuring some of the world's mos...
Celebrants tripped the light fantastic at the gala held in the Museum of Fine Arts last weekend. Three hundred sixty faculty and supporters attended the special dinner party and dance marking the SHASS 50th anniversary. The six-piece Jump Street Band provided the music in the museum's west wing. The event was the climax of a two-day celebration with four colloquia featuring some of the world's most powerful intellects.
Photo / Laura Wulf
Professor of history Philip S. Khoury, dean of SHASS (left), poses with the recipients of the School's medals of honor: Kenneth J. Arrow, the Joan Kenney Professor of Economics emeritus and Professor of Operations Research emeritus at Stanford University; Dame Gillian Beer, the King Edward VII Professor of English Literature and president of Clare Hall in the University of Cambridge; Hilary Putnam...
Professor of history Philip S. Khoury, dean of SHASS (left), poses with the recipients of the School's medals of honor: Kenneth J. Arrow, the Joan Kenney Professor of Economics emeritus and Professor of Operations Research emeritus at Stanford University; Dame Gillian Beer, the King Edward VII Professor of English Literature and president of Clare Hall in the University of Cambridge; Hilary Putnam, the Cogan Research Professor of Philosophy at Harvard; and Louise Gl��ck, the Preston S. Parrish '41 Third Century Lecturer at Williams College.
Photo / Laura Wulf
John W. Dower, the Elting E. Morison Professor of History, gestures during the SHASS panel "How do history and memory shape each other?"
John W. Dower, the Elting E. Morison Professor of History, gestures during the SHASS panel "How do history and memory shape each other?"
Photo / Donna Coveney

To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences held a colloquium on October 6 and 7, 2000. A distinguished group of faculty and scholars from MIT and other institutions met to discuss some of the fundamental questions that have occupied the attention of the School from its inception and that continue to animate the School's intellectual life. Stories and photos about the colloquia and associated festivities, awards and honors are linked below; additional photos appear on this page.

��������� $75M Kenan Sahin Fund goes to School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

��������� Solomons wins Muh Award for his dance

��������� Four honorees presented special medals by School of Humanities

��������� Panelists in four colloquia address questions of 'human importance'

���������Artists describe how they make stories using words and music
���������Merits of teaming capitalism and democracy discussed at colloquium
���������Historians question the ways that history and memory interact

A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on October 18, 2000.

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