How Yale shaped the growth of letters and science over two centuries.
A landmark address links Yale’s past to its present, showing how the college evolved from a small colonial school into a thriving center of learning. It traces the influence of founders, educators, and thinkers who helped merge humanities with scientific inquiry, and explains how Yale’s heritage continues to inform its mission today.
The book surveys the long arc from early colonial education to the modern research university, highlighting the people, ideas, and institutions that carried this transformation. It emphasizes continuity with a tradition of inquiry, observation, and public service, while noting the ongoing push to broaden scholarly horizons.
- Learn how Yale’s ancestors in New Haven and Cambridge shaped science and letters through teaching, exploration, and mentoring.
- Meet the scholars who linked classical study with practical science, from philology to geology to meteorology.
- See the role of libraries, museums, and journals in advancing knowledge and defending open inquiry.
- Understand the interplay between religion, law, and education as the university grew.
Ideal for readers of American intellectual history, university history, and the evolution of higher education in the United States.