The
Simon H. Rifkind Center for the Humanities & the Arts was
established in 1986 through a grant from the Norman and Rosita
Winston Foundation, "in recognition of a revered son of
City College, Class of 1922, a man of wit, learning, and humane
wisdom, and dedicated to the perpetual renewal of the life of
the mind."
The Honorable Simon H. Rifkind was born in Russia, emigrated
to the U.S. at the age of nine, and was educated in New York
City public schools, at City College (B.A.), and at Columbia
University (J.D.). A distinguished Federal Judge and a senior
partner of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, one
of New York's major law firms, Rifkind was a renowned trial
lawyer. He argued landmark cases on behalf of notable private
citizens, including the defense of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
against paparazzi; offered counsel to political figures such
as New York Mayor Robert F. Wagner and Governor Hugh L. Carey;
and was selected by the U.S. Supreme Court to settle disputes
by several Western states over water rights to the Colorado
River. The breadth of his legal expertise was extraordinary;
so, too, was his dedication to public service. An early champion
of Holocaust survivors, Judge Rifkind served on numerous governmental
panels and agencies, and on the boards of medical, religious,
and philanthropic institutions–as well as on the New York
City Board of Higher Education from 1954-1966. His many awards
include the Medal of Freedom, presented to him by President
Harry S. Truman.
The primary goal of the Center is to promote cultural activities
in the Humanities connected with the College. It does so in
a variety of ways, including support for faculty research, the
organization and sponsorship of special events of various kinds,
high school outreach programs, and the support of a number of
publications associated with the College.
Annual
Report
2006
- 2007
Annual
Report
2005
- 2006
Annual
Report
2004
- 2005
