History of Medieval Studies Berkeley

History of Medieval Studies Berkeley

The Founding, Past Speakers, Special Events and more...

Background image: Medieval book cover

The Founding of the Program

The Program was established by five professors in the 1960s—Robert Brentano of History, Richard Crocker of Music, Blake Spahr of German, Charles Witke of Classics, and David Wright of Art History—who gathered regularly to share their enthusiasm for the Middle Ages and to dream of uniting with the other medievalists scattered throughout the College of Letters and Science. Believing that an atmosphere of informality would best facilitate the exchange of ideas, they convened weekly meetings throughout the semester at which students, faculty, and other scholars could gather for lunch, a casual...