American Academy Inducted 2001 Fellows

October 13, 2001- On October 13th, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences welcomed new Fellows from across the nation and around the world. In an Induction ceremony held in Cambridge, Academy officers led by President Patricia Meyer Spacks (University of Virginia) greeted the new Fellows-a diverse class of scholars, scientists, public officials, artists, and business leaders who bring expertise in areas ranging from photography to the study of diabetes.

From the small group of 62 Fellows at the Academy's founding in 1780, the total membership in the Academy has grown to more than 3,700 Fellows and 600 Foreign Honorary Members. Nearly 65 percent of this year's class of 185 new Fellows and 26 Foreign Honorary Members attended the October Induction, which also marked the Academy's 1848th Stated Meeting.

The evening ceremony was preceded by an afternoon of special presentations and informal discussions designed to introduce new members to the Academy's programs and publications. In welcoming the group, Spacks observed, "since its founding in 1780, the Academy has pursued a three-part mission: to bring intellectual resources to bear on the critical challenges facing this nation and the world; to encourage collaborative study and publications about complex issues that defy easy classification or resolution; and to honor individual achievement." Vice President Louis W. Cabot (Cabot Wellington) took note of the broad spectrum of fields and professions encompassed in the Academy's membership-a tradition that dates back to the 1780 charter, which called upon representatives of "the sciences, the arts, agriculture, manufactures and commerce" to come together in service to society. Executive Officer Leslie Berlowitz outlined the Academy's expanded program of projects and publications and introduced several Fellows who are leading projects in the Academy's three core program areas: Science, Technology and Global Security; Humanities and Culture; and Social Policy and Education.

Joel Cohen (Rockefeller University) outlined the scope of the project he is cochairing on Universal Basic and Secondary Education, explaining that "the Academy is developing a series of workshops to advance a study of the rationale, means, and consequences of providing an education of high quality to all the world's children, aged 6 to 16." Robert C. Post (UC, Berkeley) discussed a new project on the relationship between Congress and the Supreme Court, focusing on the congressional confirmation process, judicial limitations on congressional power, and statutory interpretation.

John Steinbruner (University of Maryland) summarized the Academy's studies of global security issues, emphasizing that "there are strong reasons to believe that we are in the initial stages of a major transformation of international security relationships involving a shift in the organizing principles of policy. The predominant reliance on active military confrontation, which was established during the Cold War and has been preserved in more polite form in the aftermath, is likely to yield to principles of accommodation." An active participant in Academy studies of arms control for more than thirty years, Matthew Meselson (Harvard University) discussed international criminal law-the subject of a recent Academy study-in relation to the threats posed by chemical and biological weapons.

President Spacks reviewed the progress of the Humanities and Culture Initiative, and outlined the component focused on writing the histories of the humanities. Spacks noted that each of the humanities disciplines has a unique story, and this project will seek to map the evolution of changes and transformations in the disciplines in the twentieth century. Robert Post discussed the Academy's intention to develop a framework for the collection of consistent and comparable data about the humanities as a resource for academic administrators and policymakers at the local and national levels.

The 221st Induction Ceremony began in the late afternoon, with Secretary Emilio Bizzi (MIT) introducing the new president of the Academy and passing to her the ceremonial gavel. President Spacks, Vice President Cabot, and Leslie Berlowitz welcomed inductees and guests. Academy Treasurer Peter S. Lynch (Fidelity Management Corp.) then introduced the speakers for the Stated Meeting.

Several of the new Fellows addressed the membership on the challenges facing the world and the Academy at the beginning of a new century. Many of them spoke directly on the concerns raised by the events of September 11.

• Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright noted the importance for the Academy to help find the balance "between fear and hope, between an open society and security, never forgetting that democracy is our greatest security."
• QualComm founder Irwin Jacobs spoke of advancements in telecommunications technology and emphasized that technology once deemed academic now proves to be eminently practical and challenging at the same time.
• Medical researcher Brigid Hogan presented a case for the importance of stem-cell research, noting the controversy and complexity surrounding the tension between potential health benefits and a respect for different moral views.
• Columbia University Humanities Professor Andrew Delbanco discussed the role of the humanities in times of crisis, stressing that "the great challenge for the humanities in the contemporary world will be to illuminate the difference between doubting ourselves when we should and trusting ourselves when we must."
• Music producer Quincy Jones celebrated the powerful role of the arts in bringing people together in the face of adversity and in helping break down cultural and political boundaries.
• SunAmerica Chairman Eli Broad reflected on the corporate leadership's "unique opportunity . . . to speak with a voice that promotes untried and unconventional ideas when confronting our nation's toughest challenges." He urged all members to reassert a personal commitment to civic, cultural, and educational programs.

As has been the custom, each of the new Fellows came forward to be greeted by the officers and to inscribe his or her name in the Academy's Members' Book. The ceremony concluded with a selection of American music performed by the Harvard Opportunes, followed by dinner for 350 guests at the House of the Academy.

The Class of 2001 brings to the Academy not only their knowledge and experience, but also their enthusiasm about the work of this institution and its distinguished mission of service to the nation and the world.

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