Spencer Trask Lectures

The Spencer Trask Lecture Series was founded in 1891 with a gift of $10,000 from Spencer Trask of the Class of 1866 for the purpose of supporting public lectures at the University on subjects of current philosophical, artistic, or scientific interest.

Notable Lectures

T. S. Eliot, Bertrand Russell, Margaret Mead 

2016-2017 Salman Rushdie | Private Lives - Literature and Politics in the Modern World

Upcoming Lectures

A Guide to Cutting Through AI Hype: Arvind Narayanan and Melanie Mitchell Discuss Artificial and Human Intelligence
Mar 27, 2025, 5:00 pm

Princeton University Professor Arvind Narayanan and Professor Melanie Mitchell of the Santa Fe Institute, will share their insights on Artificial Intelligence in a discussion format, followed by a question and answer session.

Past Lectures

Ted Chiang
Oct 23, 2024, 5:00 pm

Do you Really Want to Live Forever?

Javier Zamora
Sep 25, 2024, 5:00 pm

Solito: Understanding Migration Through the Voice of Migrants

Arlie Hochschild
Sep 23, 2024, 5:00 pm

Lightning in the Jar: Understanding the Maga Movement and What To Do with What We Know