The Centro at Fifty: The History of the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies, 1965–2015 ed. by Mary T. Boatwright, Michael Maas, Corb Smith (review)

In the summer of 2015, the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, known more informally as the Centro, celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in that city, amid a gala dinner and numerous tours for alumni.¹ There is indeed much to celebrate, as this fine institutional history clearly demonstrates, and yet for all of its achievements the program is vulnerable at this writing as perhaps never before. The book is a must-read for anyone with even the remotest connection to the ICCS, above all former students and faculty. There is also a great deal to ponder for those concerned with the current state of classical studies or of study-abroad programs in general.

The editors have done a commendable job of weaving these complementary strands of material together. We begin with a chapter devoted to the origins of the project, with Mark Edwards setting forth the details of its foundation and early years and Steve Dyson providing context both in the United States and Italy. Next is a chapter on finance and administration by Corb Smith and Mary (Tolly) Boatwright, which, to paraphrase Mark Twain, is more interesting than it sounds. Smith and Pina Vallefuoco contribute a chapter on the Italian directors, a category in which the Centro has enjoyed a most impressive streak of good fortune.

The next two chapters, richly detailed descriptions first of the neighborhood of Monteverde Vecchio by Barbara Weiden Boyd and next of the facilities in the Centro building itself by Chris Gregg, seem likely to resonate above all with alumni, who will find this book an engaging and delightful read from beginning to end. There follows a survey of the curriculum, including a history of the fabled City Course by Harry Evans and Peter Burian, an account of ICCS Catania by Nigel Nicholson, and a study of students and faculty over the years by Walter (Wally) Englert and Sonia Sabnis. The last chapter by Michael Maas, a brilliant fund-raiser, expresses optimism over the future of the institution. Centristi will be drawn to the numerous and remarkably detailed appendices, the longest of which by far is a double listing containing the names of ICCS Rome students and faculty, first in alphabetical order and then by semester.

Some of the most engrossing material lies in the accounts of the early days of the Centro, which at times make it seem improbable that there was a fifth anniversary, let alone a fiftieth. Among the challenges rank the managerial practices of the founder, Brooks Otis, whose casual approach to record-keeping, scheduling, and communications with fellow administrators crystallizes in his omission of arrangements to pay the junior faculty, and this in more than one year. Without Otis, of course, there would not be a Centro, and yet it is difficult to see how matters might have prospered as they have without the appointment of Giancarlo and Benedetta Galassi Beria as the first Italian directors. This holds especially for the latter, one of the most remarkable individuals ever to work in what we now call “study abroad,” a field that routinely seems to summon those of rare ability and selfless dedication.

The most absorbing chapter for me is the essay by Nigel Nicholson on the two-year experiment of ICCS Sicily, brought down above all by the effects of the financial crisis on student enrollments. Nicholson manages to achieve something one would not have thought possible, which is to make the experience of the Catania program seem more compelling and interesting than that of the one in Rome. Unfortunately, the latter is not immune to the same forces that have generated a sharp decline in student enrollments in humanities, classics, and study-abroad programs of all kinds in recent years. Applications to the Centro...