Public Events

THE LEONARD HASTINGS SCHOFF MEMORIAL LECTURE SERIES

Leonard Hastings Schoff (1884 – 1978) was a textile manufacturer, economist, and educator. In 1948, he was appointed “life membership” as Associate Member of the University Seminar on Rural Life (1945-1968).  In 1970, Leonard Hastings and Suzanne Levick Schoff made a generous bequest to aid in the publication of learned manuscripts, which began The Leonard Hastings Schoff and Suzanne Levick Schoff Memorial Fund. This fund has been used to support hundreds of authors whose scholarly work was presented and discussed at a University Seminar prior to publication.

The Leonard Hastings Schoff Memorial Lecture Series was established in collaboration with Columbia University Press in 1993. Each fall, a speaker is invited to give a series of three consecutive lectures. These lectures become the manuscript for a book then published by Columbia University Press.

2023 Schoff Memorial Lecture Series | November 13, 20, 27
to be given by Professor Farah Jasmine Griffin

INFORMATION TK


Past Schoff Lecture Series

CU Press | Schoff Memorial Lecture Series


THE UNIVERSITY SEMINARS ANNUAL DINNER

Each spring, The University Seminars community gathers for a celebratory meal, to hear the Tannenbaum Lecture, and witness the presentation of the Tannenbaum-Warner Award.

THE TANNENBAUM LECTURES honor the memory of Professor Frank Tannenbaum, founder of The University Seminars in 1945 and director until his death in 1969. He and his wife, Jane Belo, established a trust to be invested, reinvested, and included in Columbia’s permanent endowment. Logistical support from Columbia and donations from individuals and institutional contributors supplement this endowment.

THE TANNENBAUM-WARNER AWARD, in honor of two directors, Frank Tannenbaum (1945-1969) and Aaron Warner (1976-2000), is presented to a distinguished member of the Seminars’ community who has been of great service to The University Seminars.

76th Annual Dinner | November 16, 2022
Tannenbaum Lecture to be given by Professor Deborah Paredez 


Annual Dinners


SEMINAR SUPPORTED CONFERENCES & SYMPOSIA

Occasionally, a seminar’s central concerns involve scholars too distant for regular participation or a seminar wants to engage a broader audience. On such occasions, the seminar may wish to organize a conference or public symposium. Conferences and public symposia on issues of paramount interest to the seminar members and the seminars community are an exciting part of the University Seminars.


Conferences & Symposia