Infinite History

The MIT campus is an amalgam of iconoclasts working in and collaborating across a vast spectrum of disciplines—from biogenetics to architecture to engineering to opera and just about everything in between. What these pioneers have in common is a commitment to drive meaningful change in the world.

You can meet many of these extraordinary individuals through MIT’s Infinite History. Listen to their stories and learn what it means to be a member of this community. These interviews are part of an oral history project that began during MIT’s 150th anniversary celebration.

Please visit the MIT Infinite History website to view these and new interviews that were recently completed in connection with MIT’s celebration of its move to the Cambridge campus.


Harold (Hal) Abelson PhD ’73

Deborah G. Ancona

Karen W. Arenson ’70

Lawrence S. Bacow ’72

Lotte Bailyn

David L. Baltimore

Cynthia Barnhart SM ’86, PhD ’88

Angela M. Belcher

Leo L. Beranek

Suzanne Berger

Timothy J. Berners-Lee

Sangeeta N. Bhatia SM ’93, PhD ’97

Donald L.M. Blackmer

Gene M. Brown

Vladimir Bulović

Claude R. Canizares

James A. Champy ’63, SM ’65

Yung Ho Chang

Noam Chomsky

Phillip L. Clay PhD ’75

Isaac Colbert

Brit J. d’Arbeloff SM ’61

John M. Deutch ’61, PhD ’66

Peter A. Diamond PhD ’63

John DiFava

Mildred Dresselhaus

John Essigmann SM ’72, PhD ’76

Robert R. Everett SM ’43

Robert M. Fano ’41, ScD ’47

Woodie C. Flowers SM ’68, ME ’71, PhD ’73

Jay Forrester SM ’45 (Part 1)

Jay Forrester SM ’45 (Part 2)

Jerome I. Friedman

Joseph G. Gavin, Jr. ’41, SM ’42

Martha L. Gray SM ’81, PhD ’86

Paul E. Gray ’54, SM ’55, ScD ’60 (Part 1)

Paul E. Gray ’54, SM ’55, ScD ’60 (Part 2)

Priscilla K. Gray

Ann M. Graybiel PhD ’71

Paula T. Hammond ’84, PhD ’93

Ellen T. Harris

Wesley L. Harris

Daniel E. Hastings SM ’78, PhD ’80

George N. Hatsopoulos ’49, SM ’50, ScD ’56

William J. Hecht ’61, SM ’76

Susan Hockfield

Nancy H. Hopkins

H. Robert Horvitz ’68

Tyler Jacks

Shirley A. Jackson ’68, PhD ’73

Howard Johnson (Part 1)

Howard Johnson (Part 2)

Wolfgang Ketterle

Philip S. Khoury

John G. King ’50, PhD ’53

Daniel Kleppner

Robert S. Langer, Jr. ScD ’74

Richard Larson ’65, SM ’67, PhD ’69

Tom Leighton PhD ’81

Steven R. Lerman ’72, SM ’73, PhD ’75

Richard K. Lester PhD ’80

Barbara Liskov

Andrew W. Lo

Thomas L. Magnanti

More Resources


Infinite History Website

Much has been written about the MIT gestalt. But to really understand this quirky, collaborative, dynamic meritocracy, you have to listen to the students, faculty, alumni, and community leaders who give it its distinctive character. The MIT Infinite History website pulls together conversations, discussions, interviews, and archival footage that will enrich your knowledge of this frontier called MIT.

Visit the Infinite History website now to view the entire library.