About the Assembly Series

Maya Angelou, 1981

The Assembly Series, Washington University’s signature public lecture series, was an interdepartmental initiative supported by the Student Union, individual schools, academic departments, and various student groups to present speakers with the aims of inspiring discourse, complementing curriculum, reflecting contemporary interests, and engaging the greater St. Louis community.

The lecture series first began in 1949, before officially being established and branded as the Assembly Series in 1953. The series was named this as the programs were originally held on Wednesdays at 11 am in Graham Chapel, and no classes were scheduled during this time so the entire campus community could assemble. The Assembly Series featured some of the most prominent academic, literary, cultural, and political voices of the time –representing diverse fields, backgrounds, and ideologies. Spanning seventy years, the Assembly Series lectures document how discourse surrounding critical topics like race, gender, and class have evolved over time.