In November, Sally Ride, '73, MS '75, PhD '78, was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The first American woman in space, Ride was a tremendous role model for young girls, championing their study of math and science.
Most know Ride completed her PhD in physics at Stanford, but how many know that she was an undergraduate dual major in physics and English? When she arrived as a transfer student, she knew she would major in physics. But at Stanford she also discovered a love for English literature. Years later, she said there was no question that the study of Shakespeare served her well in her career.
As Ride's story illustrates, the humanities are valuable in preparing students for the world. Some of our most distinguished alumni earned their degrees in the humanities, including Supreme Court justices, Olympians, poet laureates, entrepreneurs, government leaders, deans and university presidents.
The interplay of the sciences and the humanities—not one or the other—has been fundamental to the University's mission since its founding. As Leland Stanford said 122 years ago:
"The intelligent development of the human faculties is necessary to man's happiness . . . each individual should, if possible, have such a liberal education as to enable him to understand, appreciate, and enjoy the knowledge of others."
Although general education requirements have evolved over the years, the humanities remain at the center of a Stanford education.
In recent years, the United States has focused on strengthening education in the STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Excellence in these areas is critical to the nation's competitiveness. But like many of my colleagues, I am concerned by students' narrowing career focus, the rise in professional majors and the growing perception that liberal arts degrees are of little value. As Mary Sue Coleman, the president of the University of Michigan, and I wrote in a recent opinion column in the Washington Post: "The crucial issue is not whether a student will be a 'science and technology person' or a 'humanities and social sciences person,' or whether one or the other is more important to preserving the United States' global standing and maximizing a student's job prospects. The critical issue is that a person needs both types of skills and knowledge to innovate and lead in a rapidly changing world."
Recently, the American Academy's Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences examined the importance of these disciplines in "The Heart of the Matter." As the report notes, not only do the humanities enrich our personal lives, they provide a broad range of skills highly valued by employers in every economic sector.
The humanities teach us how to build on the past and construct things never before imagined. They cultivate critical thinking, social and emotional intelligence, understanding of diversity and creative problem solving.
At Stanford, we remain committed to a liberal arts education. Many fields, from biomedicine to international affairs, are increasingly interdisciplinary, with the humanities playing a central role. Students are encouraged to broaden their interests with minors and dual majors in the humanities.
We also are cultivating interest earlier. In 2012, we launched the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute, where high school students take courses such as Philosophy and Literature from Stanford's most distinguished humanists.
As I tell students, the important question is not what they will do the day after college, but what they will do 10 or 15 years from now. At Stanford, we educate the next generation of leaders. A solid foundation in the humanities is central to that mission.
John Hennessy was the president of Stanford University.
