320 York Humanities Groundbreaking

Gray skies did not dampen the mood at the groundbreaking of the 320 York Humanities building on Monday, October 8, 2018. Humanities faculty gathered with distinguished guests to celebrate the first phase of construction on what will become a center of humanistic inquiry on campus. Guests convened in the Center for Teaching and Learning to hear remarks by President Peter Salovey and FAS Dean Tamar Gendler, who expressed support and enthusiasm for this important project. Each thanked FAS Dean of Humanities Amy Hungerford for her outstanding stewardship in overseeing the 320 York building project and grant programming. Salovey, Gendler, and Hungerford were joined by Provost Benjamin Polak for a symbolic groundbreaking, complete with shovels and hard hats. Three lucky attendees were awarded historic bricks from the former Hall of Graduate Studies for correctly guessing trivia questions about the building. The renovations will create a home for 16 humanities departments and programs, along with the Whitney Humanities Center and will serve as space for collaboration among our community of students and scholars.

The renovation of 320 York Humanities is supported by an anonymous donation of $50 million, as well as a $25 million donation from Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin ’78, who made the gift in order to renovate the building and rename its iconic tower after Yale’s chief investment officer, David Swensen.