MIT Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

MIT's Building 20: The Magical Incubator Story, Anecdote, or Reminiscence

Food Technology Department in Building 20

Marcus Karel
karel@MIT.EDU

I am currently Professor Emeritus of Chemical and Food Engineering. My career at MIT started in 1951 when I joined the then Food Technology Department (Course XX) as a Laboratory Assistant. The department was located on the 2nd and 3d floors of building 20. Many of world renowned projects in Nutrition, Food Technology and Toxicology had their origins in the building, including Food Irradiation which was carried out under the direction of Professors Proctor and Goldblith. We moved to the newly built Building 16 in 1952, but the early memories of the cramped but congenial surroundings in the "barracks" are etched into the memory of those of us who are still around.