Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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History

The Department of General Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) did not officially exist until 1882. Courses in general studies were offered as early as 1865, when the MIT Catalog offered a curriculum option called the Course in Science and Literature. At that time, all regular MIT students were required to take “general studies” classes from the Course in Science and Literature, in addition to English, history, and modern languages. In 1882 the Course in Science and Literature became the Course in General Studies (designated as Course IX) and expanded its offerings in history, economics, language, and literature. The department was initially led by MIT president Francis A. Walker and later by faculty member Davis R. Dewey.

In 1904 Course IX was discontinued; however, in 1905 courses in general studies were reintroduced in the form of electives open primarily to students in their third and fourth years. In 1932 President Karl Compton set up a Division of Humanities with three departments: economics and social science, English and history, and modern languages, expanded to a School of Humanities and Social Studies in 1950.

Historical information about the Department of General Studies and the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences can be found at: http://shass.mit.edu/inside/history .

From the guide to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, general studies curricula, 1868-1927, (Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute Archives and Special Collections)

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Role	Title	Holding Repository
creatorOf	A.N. Palmer Company. Trade catalogs of schools and school supplies, 1832-1960.	University of California, Santa Barbara, UCSB Library
referencedIn	Abbot, C. G. (Charles Greeley), 1872-1973. Intellectual autobiography, 1956, 1962.	American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn	Abbott Lawrence Rotch papers, 1876?-1912.	Houghton Library
referencedIn	Academic computing collection, circa 1950-1985	University of Minnesota Libraries. Charles Babbage Institute.
referencedIn	Adelstein, Richard P. (Richard Philip), 1947-. MIT and the community : a study of the involvement of the university in the problems of housing in Cambridge / Richard Adelstein.	Harvard University Archives.
referencedIn	Aeronautical Research Foundation. Reports and papers, 1947-1950 (inclusive).	Harvard Business School, Knowledge and Library Services/Baker Library
referencedIn	Albert Rees Papers, 1966-1992 and undated	David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
referencedIn	Alfred P. Rockwell Papers, 1846-1903	American Philosophical Society
referencedIn	Allen, Mildred, 1894-1990. Oral history interview with Mildred Allen, 1979 June 18.	American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn	Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988. Oral history interview with Luis Alvarez, 1967 February 14 and 15.	American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library

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Role	Title	Holding Repository
referencedIn	Oral history interview with Pietro Belluschi	Archives of American Art
referencedIn	Oral history interview with Richard E. Filipowski	Archives of American Art
referencedIn	Oral history interview with Robert O. Preusser	Archives of American Art

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Relation	Name
associatedWith	Abbot, C. G. (Charles Greeley), 1872-1973.
associatedWith	Abrams, Charles, 1902-1970.
associatedWith	Adelstein, Richard P. (Richard Philip), 1947-
associatedWith	Aeronautical Research Foundation.
almaMaterOf	Aldrin, Buzz, 1930-
associatedWith	Allen, Mildred, 1894-1990.
associatedWith	Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988.
associatedWith	American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics. Study of Multi-Institutional Collaborations. Phase I: High-Energy Physics.
associatedWith	American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics. Study of Multi-Institutional Collaborations. Phase I: High-Energy Physics.
associatedWith	American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics. Study of Multi-Institutional Collaborations. Phase I: High-Energy Physics.