"C. Wright Mills at Columbia," a lecture by John Summers, editor in chief of The Baffler. One of the leading figures in American sociology, C. Wright Mills created the concept of a "power elite," applied the term "New Left" to the American scene, and was among the first to note the arrival of the "postmodern." As a member of the Columbia University faculty, Mills published his most important works, including White Collar and The Sociological Imagination, and helped transform the campus into a center of political and intellectual ferment. Incorporating findings based on newly accessible archival materials -- including never-before-heard audio recordings -- John Summers will discuss the influence and legacy of Mills' tumultuous tenure on Morningside Heights. This event is part of "Live from the Columbia Archives," a speaker series featuring scholarship based on archival sources discovered in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University.
