The Legacy of Jonas Salk

8232To those of a certain age, Jonas Salk is an icon. He’s the doctor who in the 1950’s, developed the first successful vaccine for polio; a disease that at its peak afflicted more than a half a million people a year. But as his sons Peter and Jonathan Salk describe here, the late Dr. Salk’s legacy extends far beyond his work in medicine.

Salk was among the first to blend art and science in the architecturally renowned Salk Institute for Biological Studies, which helped spawn a research mecca on the Torrey Pines Mesa in La Jolla. And, as UC San Diego’s Mary Walshok recounts to journalist Gary Robbins, Salk’s 1970 marriage to the French painter and best-selling author Francoise Gilot added a spark of glamour to San Diego’s bourgeoning scientific community.

Hearing these stories today makes it clear just how much one person can change the course of history – both in the region and the world.

Watch Creativity, Culture and Community: The Legacy of Jonas Salk.

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A Dash of Elegance and a Vision for the Future at Dinner in the Library

8232The mood was enchanting and so was Sarah Thomas!

Each year, the UC San Diego Library transforms a floor of the main campus library into a spectacle of fine dining for one night as guests enjoy delicious meals, crisp linens, soft lighting and an inspiring speaker. This year was no exception as Sarah Thomas, vice president of the Harvard Library, shared delightful stories of how she is shaking up the hallowed halls of Harvard by recreating her library as a gathering place suitable for 21st Century campus life.

Watch Back to the Future with the Brave New Library.

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What Happened to Klimt’s Golden Lady?

8232Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds tell the story Hollywood-style in “Woman in Gold,” but if you want to know what it really took to get Klimt’s masterpiece back to its rightful owner, watch this!

The real Randol Schoenberg gives a riveting account of his work on behalf of Maria Altmann that makes their eventual triumph in Austrian courts all the more satisfying.

Watch What Happened to Klimt’s Golden Lady? with E. Randol Schoenberg on The Library Channel.

Growing Up in the Shadow of the Holocaust

8232How to describe the burden of the state-sponsored mass murder on the generation that followed the Holocaust?

Of the many revealing stories shared in this program, one from German-born historian Frank Biess stands out. When he came to St. Louis as a college student, he was struck by the overt patriotism of Americans. As he explains, most Germans of the post-Holocaust era were so squeamish about appearing too nationalistic that they would never fly their country’s flag in front of their home because it could suggest support for the Neo-Nazis. The one notable exception? Flags were okay if the German soccer team was doing well in the World Cup.

Watch Frank Biess on American Patriotism.

Hear additional accounts of the Holocaust’s shadow on contemporary Germans on The UC San Diego Library Channel. Watch Growing Up in the Shadow of the Holocaust.

Mythbusting – German Women Under Hitler

8232It wasn’t just the men who carried out out the Hitler-directed atrocities against humanity in World War II. As historian Wendy Lower explains, women also willingly committed horrendous crimes and in most cases, paid no price for their actions.

In this chilling presentation, Lower debunks the fantasy that German women were somehow too busy bearing children to engage in the “big world of politics and war.” It’s a fascinating talk, and one that’s likely to stay with you long after it’s over.

Watch Hitler’s Furies on The UC San Diego Library Channel.

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