Newswise — A new academic chair in Asian Studies, with a focus on modern Chinese history, has been established with a $1,500,000 gift from Marshall I. Goldman in honor of his wife, alumna and former trustee of the College, Merle Rosenblatt Goldman ’53. The announcement was made by College President Karen Lawrence on March 4 at a celebratory lecture.
Roderick MacFarquhar, Leroy B. Williams Professor of History and Political Science at Harvard University and a leader in the field of modern Chinese politics, specializing in Mao Zedong’s thought and policies, delivered the lecture and spoke of his long, collegial association with Goldman, praising her for her leadership in the field.
Speaking to an audience of faculty, students, staff and friends Lawrence said, in making the announcement: “I know you are as thrilled as I am that this chair is being endowed on our campus at this particular point in world history. We are all well aware that among college students and throughout society the demand for knowledge and sophisticated analysis of the history, economy, politics, and culture of China have become increasingly important.”
Lawrence spoke of Goldman’s extraordinary accomplishments as a scholar, teacher, writer, editor and human rights advocate, and noted the that the chair has been endowed in the discipline she first chose as a Sarah Lawrence sophomore and has pursued with passion and brilliance ever since. She earned her PhD in History and Far Eastern Languages at Harvard in 1964. The first appointment to the Merle Rosenblatt Goldman Chair in Asian Studies will be made for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Sarah Lawrence College is a coeducational liberal arts college, founded in 1926, with a distinctive system of education. It is known for having one of the lowest student-faculty ratios in the country. At the core of the system are small classes, regular one-on-one student-faculty conferences, cross-disciplinary approaches and the integration of the creative arts within the curriculum. In addition to the 1,200-student undergraduate program, the College has eight master’s degree programs and a center for adults returning to school to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
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