October 17, 2011
American Academy of Arts and Sciences inducts 231st class
Gabrielle M. Spiegel signs the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Book of Members, a tradition that dates back to 1780. Photo: American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Katherine S. Newman, the James B. Knapp Dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and a professor of sociology; and Gabrielle M. Spiegel, the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of History at Johns Hopkins were among 179 of the nation’s most influential artists, scientists, scholars, authors and institutional leaders who were inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at a ceremony held Oct. 1 in Cambridge, Mass.
Founded in 1780, the American Academy is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious learned societies, and an independent research center that draws from its members’ expertise to conduct studies in science and technology policy, global security, the humanities and culture, social policy and education.
“Induction recognizes extraordinary individual achievement and marks a commitment on the part of new members to provide fundamental, nonpartisan knowledge for addressing today’s complex challenges,” said American Academy President Leslie C. Berlowitz.
Since its founding by John Adams, James Bowdoin, John Hancock and other scholar-patriots, the American Academy has elected leading “thinkers and doers” from each generation. The current membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates, some 100 Pulitzer Prize winners and many of the world’s most celebrated artists and performers.