Harvard Arts and Sciences Centennial Medalists

For graduate studies that contributed to society

Head shots of the four Centennial Medalists: Lotte Bailyn, John Hutchinson, Marvin Kalb, and Margaret McIntosh

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences honorands, clockwise from top left: Lotte Bailyn, John Hutchinson, Marvin Kalb, and Margaret McIntosh

Courtesy of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ Centennial Medal, first awarded in 1989 on the occasion of the school’s hundredth anniversary, honors alumni who have made contributions to society that emerged from their graduate studies. It is the highest honor GSAS bestows, and awardees include some of Harvard’s most accomplished alumni. The 2021 recipients, announced on May 26, are: Lotte Bailyn, A.M. ’53, Ph.D. ’56, a social psychologist who studies organizational behavior; John Hutchinson, S.M. ’61, Ph.D. ’63, a mechanical engineer; Marvin Kalb, A.M. ’53, a journalist; and Margaret “Peggy” McIntosh ’56, A.M. ’61, Ph.D. ’67, an advocate for social and educational equity and diversity. 

Published in the print edition of the July-August 2021 issue (Volume 123, Number 6), under the headline “Centennial Medalists.”

You might also like

Garber to Serve as Harvard President Beyond 2027

A once-interim appointment will now continue indefinitely.

Harvard Students, Alumna Named Rhodes and Marshall Scholars

Nine Rhodes and five Marshall scholars will study in the U.K. in 2026.

Harvard’s Financial Challenges Lead to Difficult Choices

The University faces the consequences of the Trump administration—and its own bureaucracy

Most popular

Harvard New Rules for Campus Use

At Harvard, no chalking, camping, or excessive noise-making without permission

“AI Anxiety”

The Undergraduate on the uneasy collision of technology and writing

Explore More From Current Issue

Lawrence H. Summers, looking serious while speaking at a podium with a microphone.

Harvard in the News

Grade inflation, Epstein files fallout, University database breach 

A bald man in a black shirt with two book covers beside him, one titled "The Magicians" and the other "The Bright Sword."

Novelist Lev Grossman on Why Fantasy Isn’t About Escapism

The Magicians author discusses his influences, from Harvard to King Arthur to Tolkien.

Historic church steeple framed by bare tree branches against a clear sky.

Harvard’s Financial Challenges Lead to Difficult Choices

The University faces the consequences of the Trump administration—and its own bureaucracy