History of the Berlin Family Lectures
Inaugurated in 2014 with a gift from Randy and Melvin Berlin, the Berlin Family Lectures brings to campus leading scholars, writers, and creative artists from around the world. Each academic year, the visitor delivers an extended series of lectures, participates in the university’s intellectual community, and develops a book for publication with the University of Chicago Press.
About the Berlin Family
The annual lecture series is named for Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin, local philanthropists and longtime University supporters, in honor of their gift to the University of Chicago. Randy L. Berlin, AM’77, is a former lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School and a member and past chairperson of the Division of the Humanities Council. Melvin R. Berlin (March 23, 1929-July 26, 2019) was chairman emeritus and founder of Berlin Packaging LLC. The Randy L. and Melvin R. Berlin Family Lectures are named in honor of their gift to the Division of the Arts & Humanities.
“The humanities provide a powerful lens for exploring the richness of human civilization and experience,” the Berlins said. “By engaging the most talented humanistic thinkers of our time, we hope that the Berlin Family Lectures will excite the broader University and Chicago community to think critically about our enduring values, make us aware of the possibility of alternative perspectives and extend our understanding of human nature.”
About the Division of the Arts & Humanities at the University of Chicago
The Division of the Arts & Humanities is one of the University’s five graduate divisions. Learn more about our faculty, staff, and programs at humanities.uchicago.edu.