79 JFK AND BEYOND

Names behind the Names

Land? Starr? Who are the people whose names are attached to the school’s classrooms, auditoriums, and research centers? A few of the lesser-knowns follow.

ARCO Forum Atlantic Ritchfield Not a person, but a company — a former oil company that’s since been purchased by Amoco.

Bell Hall Alexander Graham Bell No, Bell didn’t pony up money from the grave. New England Telephone and Telegraph Company teamed up with AT&T, Western Electric, and Bell Laboratories to help the school with executive programs.

Fainsod Room Elizabeth “Johnny” and Merle Fainsod He was a Soviet Union expert at Harvard. She was special assistant to Graham Allison during his deanship and worked at Harvard for more than 30 years, including 6 years as a staff writer for the Harvard News Office.

Herzog Seminar Room Paul Herzog President Truman appointed Herzog chair of the National Labor Relations Board. He was also an associate dean of the school from 1953 to 1957.

Land Hall Edwin H. Land A Harvard dropout, Land went on to invent polarizing filters and start the Polaroid company. In 1947, he introduced the world to instant film.

Malkin Penthouse Peter and Isabel Malkin He was a member of the school’s visiting committee and the person who proposed the 56-cent John Harvard stamp issued in 1986 during Harvard’s 350th anniversary. He is part owner of the Empire State Building. She started Nana Banana Classic Coloring Books.

Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy Joan Shorenstein Barone A journalist who worked during the 1970s and 1980s for the Washington Post and CBS, including many years as a producer for Face the Nation and The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.

Starr Auditorium Harry Starr President of the Littauer Foundation and a member of the school’s visiting committee. As an undergraduate, he led a fight against Jewish quotas at Harvard.

Weil Hall Frank Weil A Washington attorney and former assistant secretary of commerce for industry and trade under President Carter.

Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy Malcolm Wiener Founder of the Millburn Corporation and Comminvest, New York management and investment companies. He is one of the world’s leading experts on historical dating, a published author on many aspects of Aegean prehistory, and founder of the Institute for Aegean Prehistory.