hooverlivestream.jpg

 

 

On June 20, 1941, in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of Stanford University, Hoover Tower was dedicated as the new home for the expansive special collections of the Hoover Library. The Hoover Institution Library & Archives and the Stanford Historical Society welcome you to join us for an online discussion of Hoover Tower and its continuing significance. In the conversation, Stanford University director of architecture Sapna Marfatia, University of Cincinnati architecture professor Jeffrey Tilman and Hoover Institution Library & Archives director Eric Wakin discusses Hoover Tower’s construction, structural evolution, and symbolic importance. They also share stories from their encounters with its architecture, comparing it with other towers by its creator, Arthur C. Brown Jr. Registrants for this webinar will be entered in a raffle drawing to receive a copy of one of two publications: Tilman’s Arthur Brown Jr.: Progressive Classicist or The Hoover Tower at Stanford University, by Dr. Elena S. Danielson, archivist emerita of the Hoover Institution.


WATCH THE DISCUSSION


Participant Bios

sapna-marfatia.jpg

 

 

Sapna Marfatia
Sapna Marfatia’s professional experience spans Architecture, Planning, Urban Design, Historic Preservation and teaching. She has a bachelors in architecture, masters in urban design, and masters in liberal arts. For 19 years, as the Stanford University Director of Architecture, she has assisted in the selection of architectural, and preservation consultant teams, monitored design guidelines from formulation through construction to convey architectural concepts, and collaborated with University partners to create a vision for preservation of iconic buildings. Marfatia has authored publications and served on boards: Los Altos Historical Commission, AIA Silicon Valley Chapter, Filoli Board of Directors, and Stanford Historical Society.

jeffrey-tilman.jpg

 

 

Jeffrey Tilman
Jeffrey Tilman is an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati. He researches and writes on the history of American architecture between the Civil War and World War II, focusing on the first decades of the twentieth century.  A registered architect, Tilman’s interest in historic preservation stems from a conviction that preservation is a part of architectural practice and that no work of architecture is fully successful unless it addresses its pre-existing social, political, physical, and historical context. Tilman is also the author of Arthur Brown Jr.: Progressive Classicist.

eric-wakin.jpg

 

 

Eric Wakin
Eric Wakin is the deputy director of the Hoover Institution and the director of its Library & Archives.

 

 

Upcoming Events

Thursday, June 11, 2026
Regulating Transportation Networks: Opportunities And Challenges For Federal Regulatory Policy
Join the Hoover Institution for a virtual discussion on the impact of federal regulation on transportation networks. The panel discussion will… Virtual Panel Discussion
Thursday, June 11, 2026
America, War And The World: Applying History To Contemporary Strategic Challenges
Join Hoover Fellow Sir Niall Ferguson in conversation with Griffin Fellows, Tyler Goodspeed, Nick Lambert, Luke Nichter, Manny Rincon-Cruz, and Ziyi…
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Choosing Freedom: Lives That Defied Tyranny
Choosing Freedom: Lives That Defied Tyranny
Uncover personal stories of courage in the pursuit of freedom in a new exhibition from the Hoover Institution Library & Archives Lou Henry Hoover Gallery, Hoover Tower
overlay image