Inside the College's New Library
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MAGAZINE l FALL 2014 MAGAZINE l FALL 2014 also: The College’s Work to Diversify the Academy l A New Course Charts the History of the Book l Ethan Zuckerman ’93 Fixes the Internet l Ragamala’s Musical Garlands l Whaling and Williams Williams AN INTELLECTUAL COMMONS Inside the college’s new library weston athletic complex was dedicated on Oct. 11 and “is a dream that came true,” says Mike Reed ’75, an All-American hurdler and a relay teammate to Jimmy Lee ‘75 during their time at Williams. The new Lee Track is named for Lee’s family. Watch a video about all that’s new at Weston at http://bit.ly/newweston. DIANNA MEJIA ’15 ON THE NEW LEE TRACK PHOTO BY JAY COREY WILLIAMS MAGAZINE FA L L 2 0 14 Volume No. 109, Issue No. 1 Editor Amy T. Lovett Assistant Editor Francesca B. Shanks Student Assistants Cecilia Denhard ’15, 28 Natalie DiNenno ’18, Neo Mokgwathi ’15 Design & Production Oberlander Group 8 Editorial Offices: P.O. Box 676, Williamstown, MA, 01267-0676, tel: 413.597.4278, fax: 413.597.4158, email: [email protected], web: magazine. williams.edu Address Changes/Updates: Bio Records, 75 Park St., Williamstown, MA 01267-2114, tel: 413.597.4399, fax: 413.597.4178, email: [email protected], web: http://alumni.williams.edu/updatemyprofile Williams Magazine (USPS No. 684-580) is published in November, January, March, May, July and September and distributed free of charge by Williams College. Opinions expressed in this publication may not necessarily reflect those of Williams College or of the Society of Alumni. 33 22 All photography copyright © Williams College, unless noted. Periodical postage paid at Williamstown, MA 01267 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Williams Magazine, 75 Park St., Williamstown, MA 01267-2114 WILLIAMS COLLEGE Board of Trustees Adam F. Falk, President Michael R. Eisenson ‘77, Chairman of the Board Keli Gail, Secretary to the Board Elizabeth A. Andersen ’87 • Barbara A. Austell ’75 • Patrick F. Bassett ’70 • Brian D. Carpenter ’86 • Eric L. Cochran ’82 • William C. Foote ’73 • O. Andreas Halvorsen ’86 • Yvonne Hao ’95 • Stephen Harty ’73 • Joey Shaista Horn ‘87 • Jonathan A. Kraft ’86 • James B. Lee Jr. ’75 • Robin Powell Mandjes ’82 • Caron Garcia Martinez ’81 • Clarence Otis Jr. ’77 • Richard R. Pickard ’75 • Kate L. Queeney ’92 • Liz Robinson ’90 • Robert G. Scott ’68 • Sarah Mollman Underhill ’80 • Martha Williamson ’77 • Leila H. Jere ’91, President, Society of Alumni, attends meetings by invitation of the Trustees On the cover Photo by Kris Qua facebook.com/williamscollege twitter.com/williamscollege youtube.com/williamscollege instagram.com/williamscollege Williams 36 11 39 20 12 features departments 12 A Library in Full A photo essay takes readers inside Sawyer Library. 6 Report President Adam Falk on diversifying the academy. 2 0 History of the Book Important moments, from the invention of the 7 Comment earliest writing systems through the development Readers respond to our coverage of the alumni network, of digital media, based on a new course. Cole Porter’s piano, “Gentlemen Jews” and more… 8 Notice 2 2 Transforming the Academy A look at the dedication of Sawyer Library, the life of As colleges and universities work to diversity James MacGregor Burns ’39, summer science and more… their faculties, Williams has emerged as a leader in building a pipeline to the professoriate. 32 Study Elementary science, a historical cookbook, Indian ragamalas and more… 2 8 The Cyberutopian Ethan Zuckerman ’93 discusses why the Internet 38 Muse Williams is broken and how to fix it. Prof. Lisa Gilbert’s voyage on the Charles W. Morgan. REPORT A Pipeline Into the Academy Readers of Williams Magazine know most in the 1980s and recently expanded, of the large effects this small college has brings to campus graduate students from on the world. One you may not know underrepresented groups who are at the PHOTO BY KATE DREW MILLER PHOTO BY KATE about, however, is hugely important to dissertation stage of their careers. Williams and higher education. Most recently, we helped form a Mellon Through sustained work and the support Foundation-supported consortium that of many alumni and friends, Williams provides our students with summer now educates students from a much wider scholarly opportunities at major research variety of backgrounds than ever before. universities and brings newly minted That’s an important part of the public Ph.D.s from those universities here as good we provide. It’s also the case that the fellows, so they can experience what it’s more diverse the student body, the richer like to teach at a liberal arts college. the learning that takes place—inside and Each of these programs represents an outside the classroom—and the better engagement at a critical moment in the prepared our graduates are to function in development of a scholar, providing the an increasingly diverse world. opportunity, support and mentorship Adam Falk But there’s been a lag, at Williams to encourage students on the path to and in the academy, in fostering a becoming professors. As a result, the similar diversity among faculty. The pipeline of new faculty for Williams and To most effectively same educational benefits of broader for liberal arts colleges is now flowing educate students of representation apply: To most effectively more fully, to the great benefit of young educate students of all backgrounds, we academics and our institutions. all backgrounds, we need faculty of all backgrounds. Almost two decades ago, as a young One challenge has been that students physics professor trying to draw a diverse need faculty of all who choose academic careers in disciplines pool of graduate students, I’d attend the backgrounds. taught at liberal arts colleges have included National Conference of Black Physics relatively few people of color, first- Students every year. I was impressed generation college graduates and women by the extraordinary potential of the (especially in math and some of the students and dismayed that my institution sciences). did such a poor job of attracting them. Happily, Williams is leading the way in We’ve learned a lot since then about the addressing this challenge. “Transforming nature of the pipeline, the barriers that the Academy” on p. 22 tells the wonderful underrepresented students still face and story of programs developed here that have what actions are most helpful. It’s a simple grown into consortia and have been copied observation: If we want things to change, elsewhere. we have to do something new. One key element of this effort is to reach It’s here and at similar colleges that students early. Our summer programs for new things are being done. At Williams, pre-frosh (one focused on the sciences and the nation’s most talented students—a one on the humanities and social sciences) community more diverse than ever—work do exactly that. Two fellowship programs closely with faculty, experiencing firsthand support Williams students in research the fulfillment of an academic life, inspired mentored by faculty during the academic by the finest teaching faculty there is. year and over the summer. The Bolin Fellowship, a signature —Adam Falk, president two-year residency program that started 6l WILLIAMS MAGAZINE COMMENT THE ALUMNI NETWORK buildings. Better for us were the musical scores that Mr. (by its agents) as nothing more than the mainte- The tradition of Ephs help- Porter left to us, which form an interesting and unusual nance of social networks rather than a hostile effort to ing Ephs along the job path part of our musical collection in the Sawyer Library. discriminate.” is an old one (“The Alumni —Kenneth Roberts, professor of music, emeritus, Network,” summer 2014). Bennington, Vt. DROPPING THE “F” WORD My father, Frank Coan, As an alumnus, former class treasurer and former class Class of 1911, was helped I very much enjoyed the article about Cole Porter’s agent, I was tremendously disappointed to see that into a government job by Williams President Phinney Bechstein grand piano in Thompson Memorial Chapel. the summer 2014 Williams Magazine included at least Baxter, Class of 1914 and a high official in the Office In my day, the piano was in the language lab next three instances of the “F” word (“Higher Edukation”). of Strategic Services. My first job was in the State to Perry House, and William Finn ’74 played it— What is wrong with you? Why has the college Department, where my boss was Clinton Knox ’30, head fortissimo—every night. And the result? Multiple Tony embraced the race to bottom? There is nothing artistic of research for Europe and subsequently an ambassa- awards, Falsettos, The 25th Annual Putnam County or redeeming in publishing profanity. Where is truth, dor. My first management job, starting a new market- Spelling Bee, etc. I have no doubt Cole Porter would beauty or goodness exemplified in the use of such a ing division, was for Bill Klopman ’43, president of be pleased. crude term, and why should I continue to support an Klopman Mills and later CEO of Burlington, the nation’s —Grace Paine Terzian ’74, Oakton, Va. institution that displays such terrible judgment? largest textile company. The key recommendation came —Robert E. Riley Jr. ’92, Tulsa, Okla. from my classmate Jack Heineman ’45. Later, in my role JEWS AT WILLIAMS as the first full-time fundraiser for the NAACP, I was I read with much interest SUMMER KUDOS helped by Robert Allen ’43, treasurer of Cincinnati Bell “Gentlemen Jews” (sum- I took a few minutes this Telephone, who gathered the movers and shakers of mer 2014), excerpted from morning to read Williams the city to meet the new head of the association.