Since its founding, the Institute for Advanced Study has served as a haven for transformative ideas and profound scholarship. Founders Day recognizes Louis Bamberger and Caroline Bamberger Fuld, the sibling philanthropists who founded and endowed IAS on May 20, 1930, providing for its lasting and essential independence. Each May, we celebrate their vision and that of our donors, Faculty, Board, Members, and Staff, who together ensure that the work of the Institute is as vital today as it ever has been.

Founders Day kicks off at 2 p.m. Join us for these activities:

2 p.m.  Books in Brief

Connect with current and former Members to hear about their latest publications in short, ten-minute book talks. A book signing will follow the talks.

Paul Bertrand - Forger le faux: Les usages de l'écrit au Moyen Âge (French Edition)
Brad Bolman - Lab Dog: What Global Science Owes American Beagles
Esther Liberman Cuenca - The Making of Urban Customary Law in Medieval and Reformation England
Rosalind Morris - Unstable Ground: The Lives, Deaths, and Afterlives of Gold in South Africa
Jeffrey Ulrich - The Shadow of an Ass: Philosophical Choice and Aesthetic Experience in Apuleius' Metamorphoses

3 p.m.  Afternoon Tea in the Common Room

Gather for our traditional daily Teatime with a bonus archival exhibit of past IAS registries and an opportunity for Members to sign the current IAS registry.

3:30 p.m.  IAS Cricket Game on the Front Meadow

Participate or spectate at the first IAS organized game of cricket.

4 p.m. The American Repertory Ballet Swan Lake program on the South Lawn

Meet us on the South Lawn for a brief demonstration of Swan Lake followed by an interactive session with the audience.  This program is geared towards children ages 2 and older. 

5 p.m. Public Lecture featuring School of Historical Studies Professor Maria Loh in Wolfensohn Hall

Hear Maria Loh talk on "Bending Time & Space in the Sistine Chapel."

6 p.m. Community Dinner Party at Rubenstein Commons
Join us for a community celebration with live music, food, and drinks.

Families are welcome. Please register below to attend.

This is not a public event, this event is for our IAS Community and Friends.