Jim is Inducted into the AAAS

 

We are home after a three day trip to Cambridge, Massachusetts where Jim was inducted as a part of the class of 2022 and 2023 into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  He joined a long list of scholars, artists, performers, leaders, philantropists, etc. going back to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.  His class included Glenn Close and Abraham Verghese who gave a short speech as the representative of his group of the humanities. 

Our trip did not start well.  We almost forgot my dress clothes on the floor of the bedroom.  The weather was terrible and the five hour ride was dangerous with poor visibility and trucks spraying us with water.  We found our hotel easily however (Le Meridien) although getting into a parking space in the hotel garage was a challenge.  We enjoyed our kind of supper--MacDonald's and we bought  a four pack of wine for later.  The opening event Friday night featured John Lithgow and a conversation with David Rubenstein and Sheila Johnson.  Coincidentlally Jim's sister Terri and brother-in-law Ken had visited us the previous night in Princeton after their stay at Johnson's Salamander Hotel in Virginia.  We briefly joined the hotel reception afterwards but it was noisy and crowded and we were happy to escape to our room.

Saturday morning we found a great coffee shop, Mariposa, on Massachusetts Avenue and enjoyed pastries and dark roast coffee.  The afternoon was the highlight of the induction ceremony.  The AAAS provided shuttles to Kresge auditorium on the MIT campus. Jim had a reserved seat with his Humanities Group Section IV Religious Studies 7.  I found a seat on an aisle in the mezzanine--after looking for restrooms knowing it was going to be a long program.  And it was--three hours of short speeches and then each inductee called up by name and affiliation to sign his or her name to the membership rolls.  After the session there was a really nice reception in a tent outside the auditorium and then a shuttle ride back to the hotel.  Jim said he was delayed in meeting me because of the many folks who wanted a selfie with Glenn Close.  Jim was not among them!

Signing the membership book

And then--the Notre Dame football team won a very tense game over Duke in Durham.  With less than a minute to go, Audric Esteme ran for a touchdown--surprising everyone who expected a last ditch try for a field goal for a possible win.  

Leaving the hotel this morning presented a few more challenges.  We almost left our suitcase next to the car with each one of us assuming the other had put it in.  And then we had to get help to open the exit gate of the parking deck when the access card was a challenge.  And there was a 5 K race closing off some streets.  But we made it! And now we are home again after a much more pleasant ride in dry conditions.  

I was very proud of Jim and so glad he could be honored in this way. When the inductees were first asked to stand for applause on Friday night, it made me tearful!