MIT's Building 20: The Magical Incubator 1943 - 1998

Commemoration

Invitation

The Provost of MIT invites you to a commemoration of MIT's Building 20: The Magical Incubator.

Next summer, MIT's Building 20, built as a "temporary" facility in 1943, will be taken down and pass into history. But this legendary structure -- MIT's "Magical Incubator" -- won't be forgotten.

During World War II, the building was built to house the Radiation Laboratory, and it's there that MIT engineers refined the development of radar that helped win that war. Since then, an amazing assortment of laboratories, organizations, student groups, and offices has taken shelter in the wings of MIT's Building 20, many of which led to important and groundbreaking developments.

On March 26-27, 1998, the MIT community will celebrate the remarkable story of MIT's Magical Incubator. Come remember the past and glimpse a future undreamed of fifty years ago, now materializing with amazing speed.

Thursday, March 26

Join us for Building 20 commemorative displays and a Welcome Reception.

Friday, March 27

A full-day program highlighting special developments over the decades, tours, demonstrations, lunch, and a last chance to walk through Building 20. Speakers include:

• Professor Robert Gallagher '57
• Professor Morris Halle
• Alan Kotok '62
• Professor Jerome Lettvin '47
• Professor Walter Morrow, Jr. '49
• Provost Joel Moses '67
• Professor Paul Penfield, Jr. '60
• Professor Gill Pratt '83
• Ted Saad '41, Radiation Lab
• Professor Rainer Weiss '55

The festivities conclude on Friday with a Banquet on campus honoring Maria and Ray Stata '57, Founder and Chairman, Analog Devices, Inc. and will feature a look ahead at the Stata complex for computer, intelligence, and information sciences, which will rise on the site of Building 20 over the next few years.

Registration Information:

To receive a registration brochure or more information, please call Vera Sayzew at (617) 253-4624 or visit http://www-eecs.mit.edu/building/20. Hurry, you must register by March 1, 1998 to get the reduced registration fee of $100.

Reminiscences

MIT is collecting reminiscences of Building 20. To submit your favorite story, please email it to magicalincubator@mit.edu or visit http://www-eecs.mit.edu/building/20/anecdote-form.html.