A case study in American philanthropy, this book describes the beginnings of the Center for Hellenic Studies, a research institute established in 1961 in Washington, D.C. as an outpost of Harvard University. Each year eight post-doctoral fellows come from all over the world to live at the center and do research in ancient Greek literature, philosophy, or history. The idea behind this arrangement began with the preeminent philanthropist Paul Mellon's interest in finding a project to advance the humanities. Eric Lindquist traces the ten-year evolution of the center from Mellon's first...