“Three profoundly destabilizing scientific ideas ricochet through
the twentieth century, trisecting it into three unequal parts:
the atom, the byte, the gene.”
—Siddhartha Mukherjee
U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith is the author of three books of poetry, including Life on Mars (2011), Duende (2007), and The Body’s Question (2003). Smith is also the author of a memoir, Ordinary Light (2015).
Marian Wright Edelman has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans for her entire professional life. A graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, she began her career in the mid-1960s when she became the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar…
“When I was going off into the world as an18 year old heading to college my mother said, ‘whatever you do in life, make sure you help somebody’. And that too has been a standard to which I have measured every professional opportunity and personal challenge, and so that is my why.” […]
“Phi Beta Kappa was founded on December 5, 1776, with a message of The Love of Learning is the Guide of Life. Learning and applying what you learn for the betterment of your fellow man is a great guide for anyone’s life. I have lived true to the ethos of ΦBK and will continue to do so.” […]
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” […]
“Never underestimate the value of a broad, liberal education.
The fresh perspective that comes with breadth can stimulate
new ways of approaching a problem deeply.”
— Dianne K. Newman
“The pursuit of knowing was freedom to me, the right to declare
your own curiosities and follow them through all manner of books.”
— Ta-Nehisi Coates
“My liberal arts education is my most treasured possession.
The values at the heart of Phi Beta Kappa ensure a full measure
of success. Not just financial or professional success, but
the triumph of living an enriched and stimulating life.”
— Gregg Hurwitz
American philosopher and activist Dr. Cornel West has dedicated his life to education and the advancement of social causes. In 1992, he was made an honorary member, fitting recognition for his remarkable scholarly work and his ongoing contribution to the public intellectual life of the country.
“International human rights thus offers us a new discourse, a new rhetoric, one that has already demonstrated its ability to inspire, to provoke new intellectual insights, and to lead thousands of American young people to embrace activist agendas.” […]
“We must make sure that there is a justice system that works and follows the Constitution and that resolves the issues in an appropriate way. That’s what judges are supposed to do – make sure that they are faithful to the Constitution, faithful to the law, and have the people’s trust that if they come […]
