Exeter, NH (November 1,  2006)—Phillips Exeter Academy will host Dr. David Mumford ’53, mathematician and Brown University Professor of Applied Mathematics, as the sixth Harkness Fellow to speak in the yearlong celebration of the 75th anniversary of Harkness teaching. Dr. Mumford will visit classes and work with mathematics faculty, and will speak on Harkness at the student assembly during his visit on Friday, November 3.  These events are not open to the public.

As a former chair of the Harvard department of mathematics and past president of the International Mathematical Union, Dr. Mumford is known for his work in algebraic geometry, and vision and pattern theory. He is a 1974 recipient of the prestigious Fields Medal—the Nobel Prize in mathematics—for outstanding mathematical achievement. In 1975, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1987. Currently, he is a professor in the Division of Applied Mathematics at Brown University. His books include Indra’s Pearls: The Vision of Felix Klein (Cambridge University Press, 2002).

Dr. Mumford earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Harvard College in 1957 and Harvard University in 1961, respectively. While a student there, he first became interested in algebraic varieties. Afterward, he joined Harvard’s staff and was appointed professor of mathematics in 1967. Ten years later, in 1977, he became Higgins Professor. From 1981 to 1984, he was chair of Harvard’s Mathematics Department and MacArthur Fellow from 1987 to 1992. In 1996, he joined the faculty of Brown University’s mathematics department.

Harkness teaching and learning began 75 years ago with an educational experiment that placed 12 students and one teacher around an oval table, and remains the hallmark of Exeter’s educational philosophy to this day. Philanthropist Edward Harkness, Principal Lewis Perry, and a group of senior faculty together transformed almost every aspect of school life and influenced secondary school education throughout the country. The Harkness plan offers a generous opportunity for dialogue and the ability to hear the voice of each student. The Harkness table places students at the center of the learning process and encourages them to learn from one another.

Throughout the year, lectures, exhibitions and visits from a distinguished group of Harkness Fellows will be a part of the celebration for this historic Harkness milestone. Many of the featured guests are alumni/ae, who will each spend several days on campus attending classes, meeting with students and faculty, and giving talks.

For more information, contact Rick Schubart at (603) 777-3589. For directions to Phillips Exeter Academy, call (603) 777-4330. For more information on other events, contact the Phillips Exeter Academy public events line at (603) 777-4309, or visit the Academy website at http://www.exeter.edu/.

Phillips Exeter Academy is a coeducational, independent preparatory school that was founded in 1781 and originated the system of instruction known as Harkness teaching in 1931. In the spirit of its charter to foster both goodness and knowledge, students come from a wide variety of geographic, economic, racial and religious backgrounds. The diverse student body comes from approximately 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and 26 foreign countries.

Learn more about Mumford and his research ...

Learn more about Exeter's mathematics department...