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Vest, Charles M., 1941-2013

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1941 September 9 - 2013 December 12

Biography

Charles M. Vest was president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1990 through 2004. Dr. Vest earned his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University in 1963 and both his MS and PhD degrees from the University of Michigan in 1964 and 1967, respectively. He was the recipient of ten honorary doctoral degrees.

During his tenure as president, he placed special emphasis on enhancing undergraduate education, exploring new organizational forms to meet emerging directions in research and education, building a stronger international dimension into education and research programs, developing stronger relations with industry, and enhancing racial and cultural diversity at MIT.

Dr. Vest worked to bring issues concerning education and research to broader public attention and to strengthen national policy on science, engineering and education. He chaired the President’s Advisory Committee on the Redesign of the Space Station and served on the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. He chaired the U.S. Department of Energy Task force on the Future of DOE Science Programs, was vice chair of the Council on Competitiveness for eight years, and a chair of the Association of American Universities. Dr. Vest served as a member of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction and of the U.S. Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education. He also served on the Department of State Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Transformational Diplomacy and the Rice-Chertoff Secure Borders, Open Doors Advisory Board Subcommittee. In July 2007 he was elected to serve as president of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering for six years.

Dr. Vest was the author of two books on higher education and research policy: Pursuing the Endless Frontier: Essays on MIT and the Role of the Research University (2004) and The American Research University from World War II to World Wide Web (2007). He was a Life Member of the MIT Corporation, the Institute’s board of trustees.

Occupations

Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:

Charles M. Vest papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MC-0655
Scope and Contents

The collection documents the professional activities of Charles M. Vest during the years of 1967 to 2013.

Materials include: correspondence, lectures, reports, articles, speeches, presentations, and a digital video interview of Vest about Bill Mitchell.

Dates: 1967 - 2013

Massachusetts Institute of Technology commencement speeches

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: AC-0170
Scope and Contents

The collection comprises audio recordings of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) commencement speeches from 1953 to 2001. The bulk of the materials date between 1953 to 1961.

Dates: 1953 - 2001; Majority of material found within 1953 - 1961

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Inaugural Committee records

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: AC-0036
Scope and Contents of the Collection The collection consists of records of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) president inaugural committees since 1900. The records are primarily documents with some photographs and memorabilia. The inaugurations of Henry Pritchett, Richard Maclaurin, Ernest F. Nichols, and Samuel Wesley Stratton are documented in notebooks which contain minutes of committee and subcommittee meetings and copies of inaugural addresses. The inaugurations of James R. Killian, Julius A. Stratton,...
Dates: 1900 - 2005

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Office of the President, records of Charles M. Vest

 Collection
Identifier: AC-0510
Scope and Contents

The collection comprises records produced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Office of the President during the tenure of Charles M. Vest. The records span the years of 1990 to 2016. Record topics include the MIT Committee, MIT Corporation, MIT Schools, and MIT centers, laboratories, and programs.

Materials in the collection include: correspondence, mail logs, topic files, speeches, travel records, event and interview video and audio recordings.

Dates: 1990 - 2016