2003: Nightwork

We’re celebrating Nightwork: A History of Hacks and Pranks at MIT by Institute Historian T. F. Peterson for day 42 of our 50th anniversary series.  Erin Hasley, senior designer, reflects on the book:

“What I remember most distinctly about working on the design of Nightwork is that I learned specifics about MIT’s rivalries with other schools, including Harvard. It was fun to walk around the two campuses as I often do, anyway, and see things in a new light. For example, I imagined the statue of John Harvard in Harvard Yard ‘wearing’ MIT’s custom made Brass Rat class ring.

(Did you know that the person who sculpted John Harvard—Daniel Chester French—also made the statue of Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial, in D.C.? French studied at MIT for one year.)”

Our 50 influential journal articles are listed here. The articles are in chronological order and will be freely available through the end of 2012.

For information about the MIT Press’ history, check out our 50th anniversary page.