“Social Scientists must believe that poetry, essays, and drama are as legitimate expressions of the spirit of man as the works of John Stuart Mill, Adam Smith—or even Karl Marx.”

Nicolson ’63HON became the first female full professor at an Ivy League university. As a Columbia faculty member from 1941 to 1962, Nicolson pioneered scholarship in literature and science, and she was the first female president of Phi Beta Kappa. She chaired the English and Comparative Literature Department, challenging sexism in academia and deepening Columbia’s commitment to the arts. Learn more.

The Alumni Center’s fourth floor conference room is named after Nicolson.