History

“I believe the work of this class is important to the present — and to the future," says MIT President L. Rafael Reif. "What can history teach us now, as we work to invent the future? How can we make sure that the technologies we invent will contribute to making a better world for all?" Pictured: Craig Steven Wilder, the Barton L. Weller Professor of History, and Melissa Nobles, professor of p...

3 Questions: Melissa Nobles and Craig Steven Wilder on the MIT and Legacy of Slavery project

MIT Community Dialogue series is underway as multi-year research continues.

April 30, 2018

The keynote panel at the 10th annual meeting of the Kendall Square Association (KSA) comprised three members of The Boston Globe’s current Spotlight team (from left): reporter Andrew Ryan, columnist Adrian Walker, and editor Patricia Wen. Panel moderator was Malick W. Ghachem (far right), a professor of history at MIT. The team’s latest seven-part project — titled, “Boston. Racism. Image. ...

KSA meeting puts “Spotlight” on region’s diversity issues

At annual event, Boston Globe’s Spotlight team discusses its latest investigation into racism in Boston.

March 30, 2018

The 2018 MacVicar Faculty fellows are (clockwise from top left): Shankar Raman, David Autor, Merritt Roe Smith, and Christopher Capozzola.

Four professors named 2018 MacVicar Fellows

Autor, Capozzola, Raman, and Smith receive MIT's most prestigious undergraduate teaching award.

March 5, 2018

Four MIT students from the first "MIT and Slavery" class (21H.S01) presented well-researched information and narratives that shed new light on the history of science and technology in the U.S. (Left to right) Charlotte Minsky '20, Kelvin Green II '21, Mahi Elango '20, teaching assistant and PhD student Clare Kim, and, at the podium, Alaisha Alexander '18.

Event explores initial findings from “MIT and Slavery” class

Students bring the Institute into national conversation about universities and the institution of slavery in the United States.

February 23, 2018

From left to right: Nora Murphy, archivist for researcher services in the Institute Archives and Special Collections; Craig Steven Wilder, the Barton L. Weller Professor of History in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; Clare Kim, a graduate student in the HASTS program (History, Anthropology, and Science, Technology, and Society) who served as teaching assistant for Murphy and Wi...

MIT class reveals, explores Institute’s connections to slavery

Findings show founder William Barton Rogers possessed enslaved persons before coming to MIT; research, community dialogue to ensue.

February 12, 2018

After 16 years as heads of house, Anne and Bill McCants to step down from Burton Conner

Search will start soon for new live-in faculty to help lead undergraduate community.

January 26, 2018

The SHASS Research Fund supports MIT research that shows promise of making an important contribution in the humanities, arts, or social sciences.

SHASS Research Fund names 10 recipients for 2018

January 3, 2018

How Haiti helps us think differently about history

MIT historian Malick Ghachem gets readers and students to look anew at the Atlantic world.

December 5, 2017

2017 Phi Beta Kappa Society inductees (l-r) Abdullah Alsalloum, Rachel Osmundsen, and Nagisa Taxifar show off their certificates of membership.

High (achieving) society

The MIT chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society inducts 74 distinguished graduates of the Class of 2017.

September 15, 2017

“The Violent American Century: War and Terror Since World War II,” by John W Dower (Haymarket Books)

Is the Pax Americana truly peaceful?

MIT historian John Dower’s latest book decries the militarism of the postwar years.

June 27, 2017

Left to right: Matthew Nicolai, Dallace Francis, and Christian Argenti, MIT seniors in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and members of the fraternity Delta Kappa Epsom, took the MIT History seminar, People and Other Animals, together.

Entering the animal world

In a history seminar, engineering students explore shifting ideas about animal intelligence and human uses of animals throughout the ages.

May 19, 2017

Hiromu Nagahara and his new book, “Tokyo Boogie-Woogie: Japan’s Pop Era and Its Discontents,” published by Harvard University Press

Big in Japan

Historian’s new book explores pop music and the transformation of Japanese society.

April 27, 2017

Panelists at MacVicar Day 2017: (l-r) Anantha Chandrakasan, Peter Schmidt-Nielsen, Ava Soleimany, Shirin Shivaei, Neil Gershenfeld, Kevin Castro, Ian Waitz, Anne McCants, and Dennis Freeman.

Exploring the impact of Margaret MacVicar’s legacy on education at MIT

Faculty and students share their perspectives on the value of undergraduate research at “Pushing Boundaries” event.

April 6, 2017

"One of the principal ways historians contribute to problem-solving work at MIT and elsewhere is by helping to identify what the real problem is in the first place," says Malick Ghachem, an MIT professor of history. "When we understand and articulate the roots and sources of a problem, we have a much better chance of actually solving it."

3 Questions: How history helps us solve today's issues

Professor Malick Ghachem discusses how historians contribute to problem-solving by identifying the roots and sources of a problem.

February 28, 2017

"China Comes to Tech: 1877-1931" gathers materials from this chapter in MIT history for the first time. The exhibit will run through November, in MIT’s Maihaugen Gallery in building 14N.

3 Questions: Emma Teng on “China Comes to Tech”

New exhibit delves into history of Chinese students at MIT.

February 9, 2017

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