Geologist, educator, author, founder...Celebrate 200 years of William Barton Rogers!

Contact: Heather Denny
MIT Libraries Communications Officer
hdenny @mit.edu
617-253-5686, (F) 617-253-8894

November 19, 2004

A 200th birthday celebration will be held in Lobby 7 on Tuesday, December 7th in honor of MIT's founder and first president William Barton Rogers. The festivities will begin at 3pm, and will include remarks by the Institute's new, 16th president Dr. Susan Hockfield, birthday cake and refreshments, a kazoo chorus, live performances of period music, and a display of historical items from the Institute Archives. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about Rogers and celebrate the accomplishments of a man whose extraordinary vision led to the creation of MIT.

This event is sponsored by the MIT Libraries and the Institute Archives and Special Collections. The Archives contain many of Roger's personal and professional papers. These documents are rich in the early history of MIT and provide insight into Rogers' background, his connection to the scientific community of the day and his thoughts on establishing a school of practical science. Some of the special items that can be found in the collection include:

1846 letter from WBR to his brother Henry outlining a school of practical science - this articulated the vision that became MIT (chartered 1861)
1849 notes from his honeymoon travels
1866 appointment as Commissioner to the Universal Exposition in Paris
Extensive correspondence between family members describing their personal and professional lives and travels (mid 19th century US & Europe)

To learn more, visit http://libraries.mit.edu/archives.