2023 marks the 50th year of Brooklyn College’s Latin/Greek Institute (LGI). Since its establishment as the Latin Institute in 1973, almost 3,000 students have trained in Latin and, since 1978, in Ancient Greek. In ten weeks of highly choreographed study, students master the equivalent of about 2–3 years of college level work, with Institute graduates immediately stepping into advanced undergraduate courses and/or sitting for graduate translation exams.
Over the last half-century, the LGI has played a central role in mitigating the inconsistent availability of Latin and Greek instruction nationwide—a consequence, in part, of the Cold War emphasis on STEM programming and the passage of Vatican II (1962). In a range of disciplines, however, competency with the languages is essential to advanced study and otherwise qualified students began entering graduate programs unprepared to use and engage them at the necessary level of competence.
By the mid-1960s, the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley had reached a crisis point with its students, who were increasingly unable to pass their obligatory Latin proficiency exam. The faculty considered the language essential and, averse to eliminating its requirement, sought a workable solution. To this end, they approached the Classics Department about developing an accelerated summer program. The department recommended Floyd Moreland who, though still only a graduate student, had established a reputation as a talented teacher with many novel ideas about language instruction. Moreland’s program was first offered in 1967 and, having exceeded its aims, was subsequently made permanent (and continues, as the Berkeley Latin Workshop, to the present day).
3,000 miles away, the Berkeley program caught the attention of Brooklyn College’s Ethyle Wolfe, a Classics faculty member and a rising star in its administration. Establishing a similar language enterprise would subsequently become one of the pillars of her vision of a Brooklyn College informed, strengthened, and animated by the humanities. In 1971, she recruited Moreland to Brooklyn College to help bring it to fruition.
From the start, the Institute was shaped by its own Magisterial Feminae, whose efforts have been essential to its longevity and success. Most critical to that success was Rita Fleisher, a part-time faculty member with whom Moreland initially shared an office. If Moreland was the Institute’s paterfamilias, it now had a materfamilias.
At its 50th anniversary, the Institute retains a strict adherence to its longstanding pedagogy, precision instruction, and scrupulous attention to detail. Attendees span high school to retirement age, though advanced undergraduates, post-bacs, and early-career graduate students predominate. Of note, most students actually study in disciplines outside the Classics: among those who’ve gone on to complete Ph.Ds. (about 35% of alumni), the predominant fields are Political Science, Philosophy, Art History, English, and Comparative Literature. A large number of graduates also pursue careers in law, medicine, museum/nonprofit work, and K-12 education.
Though the LGI’s purpose remains the same, its centrality to the humanities has become even more essential. Since 1995 and again after 2011, the number of LGI attendees from historically underrepresented groups doubled, while the number of first generation and international students also grew significantly. Accordingly, the Institute now plays an increasingly important role in helping to diversify and strengthen the ranks of (future) faculty and scholars. Put another way, it continues to support and strengthen the humanities exactly as Ethyle Wolfe had envisioned.
Floyd Moreland Position Acceptance Letter (1971)
When the newly minted Dr. Floyd Moreland went on the job market, Ethyle Wolfe (at the time Chair of Classics and Comparative Literature) was the only suitor to emphasize his work with the Berkeley Workshop. She was interested in developing a similar enterprise at CUNY, a goal that, as she moved into institutional leadership, would form one of the pillars of her comprehensive vision for the humanities at Brooklyn College. The two had an almost immediate rapport, and Wolfe remained actively engaged with the Institute for the entirety of her professional career.
Report of the Latin Institute’s Inaugural Year (1973)
At the conclusion of the Latin Institute’s inaugural summer, Moreland authored a comprehensive report detailing almost every aspect of the program. Of note: of the 40 students who started on June 18, 25 went on to complete. The LGI attrition rate has always been notable: the pace is formidable, the work unrelenting, and the expectations exacting. Though extraordinarily effective, it is not the right method for every student. To note, these annual reports continue to the present and, in a process of continuous improvement, help inform the LGI’s various academic and administrative functions.
Dido’s Cup Game Ball (1980)
A short-lived tradition of the early 1980s, Dido’s Cup was a softball game between the Latin and Greek programs. This game, played on August 17 in Riverside Park, was a runaway victory for the Greeks.
Upper Latin Program T-shirt (2021)
In the summer of 2020, the COVID pandemic forced the cancellation of the in-person basic programs – the first such measure in the Institute’s history. With limited time, the Latin faculty were able to pivot and offer an upper-level program online. In the following summer, both Latin and Greek were offered online. The students of the Upper Latin Program captured the summer perfectly, depicting the authors they’d read as a ZOOM gallery.
Latin Institute Pin and Newspaper Advertisement (1973)
To promote the new Latin Institute, Rita Fleischer created a simple button to provide visual recognition and contact information for the Latin Institute. Additional promotion efforts included writing letters to colleagues at regional colleges and placement of newspaper advertisements.
LGI Newsletter, Vol. 1. No. 1 (1979)
As the number of graduates increased, the Institute launched a newsletter to provide a format and mechanism for alumni and faculty to stay in touch. Faculty member Jack Collins was its first editor, though Rita Fleischer—who remains in personal touch with hundreds of alumni— later assumed the responsibility. The frequency of the newsletter has varied and, more recently, communication with and among alumni has largely migrated online.
Graduation Names (1982)
Through the early 2000s, graduating students’ names were listed in the program and on their nametags in both English and as a Latin or Greek homophone. By way of example, the name given exhibition curator Lucas Rubin in the 1995 Summer Latin Institute was “Aspice nos fricantes” (“look [at] us rubbing”—i.e. Lucas Rubin). Rita Fleischer would devise the names during a late afternoon walk after the day’s classes. A time-consuming endeavor, it was phased out in the 2000s and replaced, at least in part, by a customized poem in Greek.
Plastic Graduation Laurel Wreath (2022)
Until 2019, the graduation wreathes were made by the same florist, who appreciated the tradition and kept the cost low. Following his passing, however, it proved impossible to find another vendor willing to assemble in bulk and at a reasonable rate. Accordingly, the wreathes are now made of plastic. Though charmless, they confer one advantage: a more permanent keepsake!
Institute Diplomas in Latin and Greek (2010)
As a self-contained, almost standalone enterprise, Moreland wanted its successful completion to be marked by a unique certificate in Latin (and later, Greek). In addition, students can also receive honorifics (cum [magna, summa] laude) as a reflection of their effort and engagement with the program. Originally hand-calligraphed, Institute diplomas are now printed.
Hoplite Challenge Cup Trophy (1979)
Once the Hoplite Challenge Cup was made a permanent feature, it required an appropriate trophy. Among the array of implements laid out before the spectators, the cup holds appropriate pride-of-place. Of the 42 contests held between 1978 and 2022, the LGI has definitive information for 25, with the faculty holding a record of 16-7-2. With 15,800 possible forms, the ability to compete is itself a testament to the LGI’s effectiveness: the students had learned the Greek alphabet a mere six weeks before.
The Challenge Cup Home Game (1980)
Designed by longstanding faculty member Jack Collins, this playable home version is limited to 15 verbs. More recently, faculty member (and alumnus) Jeremy March has developed an app (Hoplite Challenge) that includes all 114 verbs learned by Day 29.
Hoplite Beer Bottle (1980s)
This empty beer bottle with the slogan “Made in Greece” (and contributed by Jack Collins, Greek faculty 1978-1996) is displayed at every Challenge Cup. Its meaning (or joke) has been lost to history.
Hoplite Challenge Cup Competitor Selection Bowl (2000)
This fine vessel was made and donated by Thomas Turnbull, a professional potter and Institute alumnus (Basic Latin 1979). Redolent of a phiale, a Greek ritual vessel, it is used to randomly select the student and faculty competitors per round. In gratitude for his Institute experience, Turnbull also made lamps for Moreland and Fleischer.
Hoplite Challenge Cup Rules (2010s)
Though modified over the years, the Hoplite Challenge Cup consists of a seven-turn duel between a student and a faculty member (both chosen at random). A turn begins with a student generating a Greek verb and requesting from their faculty opponent two changes to its morphology (tense, mood, person, number, and/or voice). If the answer is correct, the faculty opponent then asks for two more changes; if incorrect, a point is scored. If no mistake is made after seven rounds, a half point is awarded the student team. There are three rounds of play.
Lyrics to Gaudeamus Igitur (Undated, But Timeless)
As part of the festivities, attendees traditionally sing Gaudeamus Igitur, a convivial 13th century song that celebrates academic life. The LGI version, however, extolls the Institute and includes stanzas in Greek, likely written by Jack Collins.
With little budget for marketing and limited channels by which to promote the Latin Institute’s inaugural summer, Moreland and Fleischer appealed to colleagues at other institutions to help get the word out. Many of these, in turn, shared with their own contacts and colleagues, as this letter from New York University’s Charles Dunmore demonstrates. To note, Dunmore had been a fellow student of Fleischer’s at NYU, and they later co-authored Medical Terminology: Exercises in Etymology (1977).
Stavros Niarchos Foundation LGI Pin (2015)
In 2016, Katherine Lu Hsu (LGI Director, 2014-2020) received a $1,000,000 gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation to establish a scholarship endowment. A transformative gift for all applicants of demonstrated financial need, it has a specific focus on supporting students from historically underrepresented groups. The LGI has played a long-standing and significant role in helping to diversify graduate students and, by extension, the ranks of faculty and scholars. In this regard, the number of BIPOC and first-generation students doubled from 1995 and again following 2011.
50th Anniversary Retro Pin (2022)
This small enamel pin, designed for the Institute’s 50th Anniversary, invokes the LGI logo in use in the 1980s through 2000s. The symbol is the earlier logo of the CUNY Graduate Center (GC): a circle within a square meant to represent the five boroughs. The GC has long since replaced this with a stylized skyline. Since its foundation, the GC has hosted the Latin/Greek Institute’s programs.
Student-Made Institute T-shirts (1990s-2022)
In the 1970s, the Latin Institute had an official t-shirt and sold iron-on transfers in the office. These were relatively short-lived and no surviving examples or images have (yet) been found. In the late 1980s, however, students seized upon the idea and began making their own commemorative t-shirts. These almost invariably contain a quote from a work read that summer, and themes of challenge, struggle, and perseverance are quite frequent—an apt sentiment given the volume and rigor of the programs.
Basic Greek Program T-Shirt (1996)
Before the advent of widespread editing and design software, the Greek font and other illustrations were often drawn by hand. The quote selected that summer was from Plato’s Ion (539c): ζῷον, ἔτ ̓ ἀσπαίροντα (“alive, still gasping”).
Graduation Laurel Wreath (1982)
In the mid-1970s, a tradition of wreathing graduates was introduced by Stephanie Russell. Russell was one of the Institute’s longest serving and most recognized faculty members, having taught in the Basic Latin, Basic Greek, and Advanced Latin programs. This fragile relic is dated 1982.
Graduation Program (1982)
The afternoon’s festivities are detailed on a large format bilingual Latin and Greek program, which provides an opportunity for students to put their newly acquired languages immediately to use!
Bust of Augustus II (2023)
The bust of Augustus in sunglasses has served as something of the Institute’s mascot from the beginning. Moreland’s cousin, who worked in advertising, sourced the bust and added the sunglasses which, adding a touch of whimsy, were meant to evoke the summer. Though some faculty felt that their addition bordered on the sacrilegious, the sunglasses remained and the bust has appeared on various LGI materials over the decades. On display here is Augustus II, an understudy: the plaster original is now far too fragile for transport. The sunglasses are, however, original.
Summer Greek Institute Schedule, Days 30-39 (1996)
Central to the effective perpetuation of academic momentum is the structure of the curriculum, which—beyond the availability of faculty after hours, at all hours—incorporates an array of mechanisms to reinforce student learning as well as provide additional opportunities for engagement (such as sightreading). In their second half, the basic programs are further augmented with afternoon lectures which convey concomitant information (e.g., the manuscript tradition, Indo-European linguistics). To this end, students are provided detailed schedules to help guide them through the program, as seen in this example.
Vocabulary Gloss of Euripides’ Medea (2007)
From the initial Berkeley Latin Workshop, Moreland recognized that time spent in a dictionary was a barrier to rapid language acquisition. Accordingly, every text read at the Institute is glossed; i.e. a dictionary entry is provided for all newly encountered vocabulary. Over the course of their studies, students memorize (and are examined on) an extensive core of high-frequency vocabulary. In weeks 9-10 of the Basic Greek program, students read almost the entirety of the Medea. In its gloss, presented here, the arrows indicate a word to be memorized.
Letter to the LGI Community Regarding the Death of Gerald (Gerry) Quinn (1991)
The Basic Greek Program, launched in 1978, was developed by Brooklyn College’s Hardy Hansen and Gerry Quinn of Fordham University. Quinn had taught in the Latin Institute in 1976 and 1977 and in the Basic Greek Program from 1978-81 and again in 1988 and 1991. He tragically died in a car accident in the fall of 1991.
Preliminary Edition of Hansen and Quinn’s Greek: An Intensive Course (1980)
As with Latin: An Intensive Course, each chapter of Hansen and Quinn (H&Q as it is affectionately known) represents one day of material in the Basic Greek Program. If Moreland and Fleischer (M&F) offered up numerous scenarios of sailors and queens in its sentences, H&Q presented Homer’s brother as a recurring character. Published in 1980, it has since been revised and its second edition is one of the most popular and well-regarded Ancient Greek textbooks in use.
Preliminary Edition of Moreland and Fleischer’s Latin: An Intensive Course (1974)
The Basic Latin Program required a textbook specifically aligned to its curriculum and pedagogy, which sequenced grammar not by complexity but by necessity for reading original texts as soon as possible. In Basic Latin the essential subjunctive mood is introduced on Day 2. The textbook on display here belonged to Rita Fleischer and the bookmarks indicate the sentences to be reviewed in class. In a remarkable demonstration of continuity, these are largely the same as those still assigned in 2023. Now in its third edition, the first was published in 1974.
Latin Joke Quiz (Date Unknown)
One of the traditions of the Basic Greek Program is a gag quiz late in week 6 (at the conclusion of the program’s first half, which is focused on core grammar, syntax, and morphology). The Basic Latin Program has no such current tradition, so the discovery in the Brooklyn College archives of this gag quiz—a parody of the opening of Tacitus’ Annales—was rather unexpected. The document, which was apparently distributed, seems to have been a one-off from the early 1980s.
