Emory Historian

As another academic year picks up steam, last week brought both good news and bad news from Emory University. The good news is that the Hon. Leah Ward Sears began her term as interim president on September 1. An alumna of Emory Law School, she adds to a number of distinguished firsts in her résumé the distinction of being the first African American to lead Emory and only the second woman to do so....

Does a University Have DNA? Does Emory? As another academic year picks up steam, last week brought both good news and bad news from Emory University. The good news is that the Hon. Leah Ward Sears began her term as interim president on S…

by Cynthia Patterson, Professor of History Emerita, Emory University Note: A somewhat longer version of this text was presented as a lecture to the Emory University Emeritus College on March 18, 2024. Gary Hauk The significant and direct involvement of Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum with the antiquities market over the past twenty-five years has resulted in collections that startle visitors with their quality and have pushed the Carlos into the upper echelons of U.S....

Ambition Gone Awry? The Michael C. Carlos Museum and the Antiquities Market by Cynthia Patterson, Professor of History Emerita, Emory University Note: A somewhat longer version of this text was presented as a lecture to the Emory University Emeritus College on March 18, 20…

Presented to Emory University Emeritus College, January 29, 2024 Gary S. Hauk Students and faculty members often are surprised to learn that Emory University has an affiliation with the United Methodist Church. The university so closely resembles its fellow members in the Association of American Universities that it often appears indistinguishable in mission, character, and culture from sometimes larger and better known research universities like the Ivies and the great state universities....

From John Wesley to the Dalai Lama: Emory’s Religious Pilgrimage and What It Means for a Modern Research University Presented to Emory University Emeritus College, January 29, 2024 Gary S. Hauk Students and faculty members often are surprised to learn that Emory University has an affiliation with the United Meth…

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, many questions have come up about the impact of the 1918-20 pandemic on Emory. How did that terrible influenza more than a hundred years ago affect life on campus for students, faculty, and staff? What role did Emory's new medical school play in battling the pandemic, if any? How did Wesley Memorial Hospital (later Emory University Hospital) respond in its location in downtown Atlanta?...

Emory and the 1918–20 Pandemic Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, many questions have come up about the impact of the 1918-20 pandemic on Emory. How did that terrible influenza more than a hundred ye…