The Center for 21st Century Studies (C21) is one of the oldest humanities centers in the United States, founded in 1968 as the Center for 20th Century Studies. Since its inception, it has compiled a consistent record of hosting major events, including conferences, screenings, performances, and readings—often on topics and by participants whose importance was already clear, but just as often on topics and by participants whose importance would only strike the rest of the world later. When she spoke at UWM under the Center’s auspices in 1982, Grace Paley was already famous. When she performed at the Center in 1977, Laurie Anderson was not yet famous.
Archive
Below is a collection of highlights of C21’s history, including visiting speakers, conferences, and other special events. Our digital archive was created to reflect upon and celebrate C21’s 50th anniversary, and is now accessible via the Internet Archive*.
- 1968: The Center’s Founding
- 1970s: Film, Performance, Language, and Technology
- 1980s: Feminism, Modernism, and Culture
- 1990s: Culture, Aesthetics, Aging, and Animals
- 2000s: War, Sovereignty, Gender, Space
- 2010s: The Digital, Nonhuman Turn, Anthropocene, Indigeneities
*Embedded YouTube videos and outlinks to conference websites may not perform in archived webpages. To access this content, visit our YouTube, or browse our past conferences.
C21 has undergone multiple revisions and re-envisionings since the mid-2010s. Explore the links below to learn more about our recent past.
- Annual Reports (2011-2023)
- Theme Cycles (2022-2027)
- Past Conferences (1996-2024)
- Past Research
- Past Publications
In honor of 50 years of research and collaboration, C21 hosted a special 50th anniversary symposium on Friday, October 26, 2018. Remembering the Center for 20th Century Studies celebrated a half century of one of the first humanities centers in the US, the Center for 20th (now 21st) Century Studies. Current and former faculty, doctoral students, and directors gathered at UWM’s Curtin Hall to reflect upon and exemplify the Center’s intellectual history and legacy for humanities research today. Alumni and stakeholders contributed their personal recollections of time spent at the Center for 20th (or 21st) Century Studies from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.
See the symposium’s schedule here and the image gallery here.
*Embedded YouTube videos and outlinks to conference websites may not perform in archived webpages. To access this content, visit our YouTube, or browse our past conferences.
- Anne Basting, 2021-24
- Richard Grusin, 2017-21
- Kennan Ferguson, 2015-17
- Richard Grusin, 2010-15
- Merry Wiesner-Hanks, 2006-07 / 2008-10
- Daniel J. Sherman, 2002-06 / 2007-08
- Kristie Hamilton, 2000-02
- Kathleen M. Woodward, 1981-2000
- Thomas Ewens, 1979-81
- Mark Krupnick (deceased), 1978-79
- Obituary: The Guardian (UK)
- Michel Benamou (deceased), 1974-78
- Robert F. Roeming (deceased), 1969-74