Mission and History

The Museum is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting materials that serve as a resource for the study and interpretation of the intellectual, educational, and social history of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and its role in the development of modern science and technology. The Museum stands alone among university museums in its focus on the impact on society of the research, the teaching and the scientific innovations of its parent institution.

History

Founded in 1971 as the MIT Historical Collections by Warren Seamans, the MIT Museum's original mandate was the collection and preservation of historical artifacts then scattered throughout MIT. Renamed MIT Museum in 1980 by the MIT Corporation Executive Committee, it began to develop exhibits and educational programs based on the Museum's MIT focused collections. The Museum was designed to meet the needs and interests of the MIT community as well as society at large.

Administration

The MIT Museum is an administrative department of MIT, a coeducational privately endowed research university that seeks to advance knowledge for the benefit of society and provide students an active, practical education dedicated to solving real world problems. The Museum is under the auspices of Associate Provost for the Arts, who also oversees the List Visual Arts Center and the Office of the Arts.

The Museum was accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1984 and reaccredited in 2002. The MIT Museum belongs to the American Association of Museums, Association of Science and Technology Centers, Museum Computer Network, New England Museum Association, International Confederation of Architectural Museums, and the International Council of Maritime Museums.