TACNY Sweet Science Series

TACNY John Edson Sweet Lectures, a program founded in 1913, is now called the Sweet Science Series. They feature discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere for adults of all levels of technical understanding.

The program is named for Professor Sweet, an inventor and president of the Straight Line Engine Company, in addition to teaching at Cornell University. Recognizing the need for trained technicians, he founded The Artisan School in Syracuse. As this need was more widely recognized, and alternative education made available, the assets of The Artisan School were transferred into a Sweet Lecture Fund to be used to present a minimum of six free and open to the public presentations each year. Sweet Lectures were very popular, with attendance as high as 1,000. Over the years, Sweet lecturers have included Herbert Hoover, Willis Carrier, Jacques Cousteau, R. Buckminster Fuller, Igor Sikorsky, Louis Leakey, and many others. Since 2021, the talks have been recorded, and available for viewing on TACNY’s Vimeo channel.

Specific information for all TACNY Sweet Science Series events, including registration, can be found in our event calendar.