Harvard Centennial Medalists

Four alumni recognized for work

Photograph of Centennial Medalists Martin Duberman, Myra Marx Ferree, Joan Argetsinger, and Arthur K. Wheelock, Jr.

From left: Martin Duberman, Myra Marx Ferree, Joan Argetsinger, and Arthur K. Wheelock, Jr.  |  PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY RINALDO

The Griffin 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 2024 recipients, celebrated on May 22, are: Martin Duberman, Ph.D. ’57, an historian, biographer, playwright and gay rights activist; Myra Marx Ferree, Ph.D. ’76, a sociologist and leading feminist scholar; Joan Argetsinger Steitz, Ph.D. ’68, a molecular biologist known for her fundamental work on RNA; and Arthur K. Wheelock Jr., Ph.D. ’73, an art historian who specializes in Dutch and Flemish paintings. The award ceremony can be seen on the school’s YouTube channel. Read biographies of the recipients at harvardmag.com/centennial-medalists-24.

You might also like

Harvard’s 375th Commencement Exercises

Conan O’Brien headlines a star-studded cast

Harvard Honors Its Oldest Alumni

At 97 and 101, Linda Cabot Black ’51 and William “Bill” Dubey ’46 led the way on Alumni Day.

Don’t Be A ‘Solo Superhero,’ Jonny Kim Tells Harvard Alumni

The astronaut, doctor, and Navy SEAL delivered keynote remarks on Alumni Day.

Most popular

Keri Russell Calls ‘The Diplomat’ a Love Letter to Public Servants

A Harvard Kennedy School event looks behind the scenes of the Netflix drama. 

The Year a Beat Poet Squatted at Harvard

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

How Philosophy at Harvard Saved Itself

As humanities shrink across higher education, one department is flourishing. Is its success a fluke, or a roadmap?

Explore More From Current Issue

Ancient Egyptian painted sarcophagus with detailed hieroglyphs and a woman's face.

A rare Egyptian mummy case is on display at the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East.

Illustration of a phone, book, hourglass, weights, and a hand reaching for a device on a blue background.

Your thoughts on how to regulate the platforms—and stop using them so much

Illuminated hanging sculptures resembling organic forms, casting warm light in a dim space.

Artists Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien turn a colonial symbol from Cambodia inside out.