News and upcoming events
The 2024 Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society appreciation brunch took place on Sunday, September 29. Thank you to all members and guests who were able to attend and we look forward to seeing you all at a future KDMS event!
To watch past years event videos, go to the Gatherings section below.
The History of KDMS
In the long history of giving to MIT, planned gifts and bequests have been the largest source of income for MIT’s endowment. In 1994, MIT established the Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society (KDMS) to honor those donors who continue this practice.
The society is named for Katharine Dexter McCormick, class of 1904, who was one of the most generous individual benefactors in MIT’s history. Her largest gift came as a bequest.
“Since my graduation in 1904,” she wrote in her will, “I have wished to express my gratitude to the Institute for its advanced policy of scientific education for women. This policy gave me the opportunity to obtain the scientific training which has been of inestimable value to me through my life.”
MIT invites alumni and friends who share Katharine’s commitment to the Institute to consider joining KDMS by creating a planned gift.
Become a KDMS Member!
Have you already included MIT in your estate plan? Let us know! We would love to welcome you to the Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society!
Contact the Office of Gift Planning
Images from Katharine's Life
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Katharine Dexter at MIT
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Katharine Dexter in an MIT research lab (MIT Museum Collections). She would later marry Stanley McCormick after graduation in 1904. -
Katharine Dexter McCormick as a leading suffragist campaigner
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Katharine Dexter McCormick, left, at a suffragist rally in Chicago, in 1917. (MIT Museum Collections) -
Katharine Dexter McCormick's philanthropy at MIT
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Katharine Dexter McCormick at the dedication of McCormick Hall, circa 1963 (MIT Museum Collections) -
Katharine and her husband, Stanley McCormick
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Stanley McCormick and Katharine Dexter McCormick (MIT Museum Collections)
Recent and Past Society Gatherings
Enjoy these recordings of past KDMS gatherings, featuring presentations by MIT faculty, leaders, and researchers, as well as musical performances by MIT affiliated musicians..
On September 29, 2024, members of the Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society (KDMS) returned to campus for the annual KDMS Appreciation Brunch. This year marked two milestones: the 30th anniversary of the founding of KDMS, and the 120th anniversary of Katharine Dexter McCormick’s graduation from MIT in 1904. The event opened with performances by two MIT-affiliated musicians, Sara Kornfeld Simpson PhD ’24 (flute) and Seolyeong Jeong (piano), with musical pieces composed by women in the early 20th century. MIT Provost Cynthia Barnhart returned to host this year’s event and highlighted the impact over the years of planned gifts to MIT. The event’s keynote speaker, Professor Jim DiCarlo, the director of The MIT Quest for Intelligence, gave a presentation titled “A Human-aligned Path to Artificial Intelligence and Why it Matters.” Watch the video of the event here. MIT looks forward to seeing all our dedicated KDMS members at next year's event!
Sunday, October 1, 2023, members of the Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society returned to campus for their annual Appreciation Brunch event. A new record number of attendees came to reconnect and celebrate their relationship with MIT and each other. The event was opened by The Chorallaries of MIT, MIT’s first mixed-voice a cappella group. Chancellor Melissa Nobles was this year's host and emphasized the importance of educating the "whole student". The event’s featured speaker, Dennis Whyte, the director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, gave a presentation titled “Developing Audacious Solutions to the Climate Crisis” about his research and commercialization of fusion energy. MIT looks forward to seeing all our dedicated KDMS members at next year's event!
On Sunday, September 18, 2022, members of the Katharine Dexter McCormick (1904) Society returned to campus for the first in-person Appreciation Brunch event in two years. A record number of attendees came to reconnect and celebrate their relationship with MIT and each other. The event was opened by a violin performance by Natalie Lin Douglas, assistant professor in Music and Theater Arts. The violin and bow that she played were gifts from the estate of MIT Professor Stephen Erdely (1921—2017) and were featured in the Spring 2022 issue of Corridor. The event’s featured speaker, Feng Zhang, the James and Patricia Poitras Professor of Neuroscience and an investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, gave a presentation titled “Mining the Natural World to Improve Human Health” about his research using CRISPR gene-editing systems.
On September 26, 2021, KDMS members participated in the annual KDMS Appreciation Event, held virtually for the second time. The event featured Nergis Mavalvala PhD ’97, Dean of the MIT School of Science and the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics, as the guest speaker. Dean Mavalvala presented on her ambitions for the School of Science—encouraging cross-disciplinary work, focusing on climate change, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion—and also discussed the importance of a liberal arts education by reflecting on her own life experiences.
On September 27, 2020, KDMS members from all over the country came together to participate in the first-ever KDMS Virtual Appreciation Event. The event featured the presentation on the new MIT Museum at Kendall Square by John Durant, Mark R. Epstein (Class of 1963) Director of the MIT Museum, where he showcased how the new location of the MIT Museum will serve the community with engaging exhibits and facilities that call attention to research and innovation at MIT.