In Memoriam

Professor Stephan Chorover

Jonathan King

Stephan Chorover

Steve Chorover, who passed away on February 20 at age 82, was a founding member of the MIT Faculty Newsletter. Instrumental in the development of the Brain and Cognitive Science faculty, Steve was also one of the faculty leaders who pressed for the establishment of the Program in Science, Technology and Society. Steve was an astute observer of the social context of scientific and academic work, and of the human dimensions of those engaged. His book From Genesis to Genocide, which critiqued the import of pseudo-scientific determinism into social and political policy, was influential among the generation of biological and social scientists responding to the civil rights movement and resistance to the war in Vietnam.

Steve was very sensitive not only to the danger of authoritarian aspects of federal policies, but also their reflection within university administrations. He was one of the first senior faculty to voice opposition to then-Provost John Deutch’s termination of the Department of Applied Biological Science in 1988. This led to his participation in the establishment of the Faculty Newsletter.

Steve was unusually sympathetic and attuned to the personal concerns of students, faculty, and staff, and always brought this dimension into the discussions of the FNL Editorial Board. He was one of those rare faculty members, who, after inquiring how your research and teaching were going, inquired about how you were doing in general. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

	Back to top
	Send your comments