Among the several hundred alumni, friends, faculty, and students expected to attend the Sept. 12 dedication ceremonies for the Barker Center for the humanities will be Walter C. Klein '39, L '42, and his wife, Virgilia H. Pancoast. Klein recently committed $3 million toward the new humanities center and, in recognition of his generosity, Harvard has named its east wing for him.

"Walter's wonderful commitment has been critical for us in the

completion of this important project and has splendidly affirmed the

strength of the humanities at Harvard," says Jeremy R. Knowles, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

A man of many interests -- including art collecting, education, and travels throughout the world -- Klein has especially strong beliefs about the central role of the humanities in a liberal education.

"I hope students will continue to take many courses in the humanities, and I believe that the new center -- by effectively bringing together the various disciplines and encouraging interaction among faculty and students -- is sure to increase undergraduates' interest in these important fields," says Klein.

He has generously supported the humanities at Harvard. In 1995, he established the Walter C. Klein Professorship in the Humanities; the incumbent is the classics scholar Charles P. Segal. Previously, Klein endowed a fund to improve undergraduate teaching.

Klein is also liberal with his time and energy on behalf of Harvard. He is a member of the Committee on University Resources Campaign Executive Committee, the New York Major Gifts Steering Committee, the Harvard College Fund Council, and the Visiting Committee to the College. He is fundraising chair for his class and still serves as an admissions interviewer in New Jersey, as he has for more than 40 years.

In 1990, Klein retired after 43 years at Bunge Corp., an international food-processing and exporting company. He is now chairman and CEO emeritus and a consultant to the company. Virgilia, his wife, is a widely respected art authenticator specializing in art forgery, having recently lectured on that subject at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.