RPL in the News: New Gift Will Rename the Sperry Room to the Cader Room

Mario Cader-Frech, MRPL '24 in renamed Sperry Room to Cader Room following his gift to the school

Harvard Divinity School is pleased to announce a new gift from Mario Cader-Frech, MRPL ’24, that will rename the Sperry Room to the Cader Room in celebration of the School’s educational offerings and programming around religious literacy in media and entertainment.

“I have personally witnessed and experienced the progress HDS has made over the past 10 years in expanding its outreach program to promote religious literacy to a broader audience,” said Cader-Frech. “Promoting religious literacy through the study of religion and film is important to me because through my work as media executive I have learned first-hand how media shapes societal perceptions and narratives. Dedicating a room to recognize those studying the intersections of religion and media is a fitting way to build awareness of this field. At the same time, this seems appropriate to continuing the legacy of Dean Sperry.”

During his time as HDS Dean, Sperry modernized the School’s curriculum, integrating contemporary theological, philosophical, and social perspectives. Cader-Frech learned about Dean Sperry in Professor Dan McKanan’s class, “Race, Empire, and Harvard Divinity School.” When Andover Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School joined in 1922, Willard Learoyd Sperry became the Dean of the joint School of Theology in 1922. When Andover Theological Seminary and HDS split, Sperry remained Dean of HDS until 1953.

Cader-Frech has been a valued member of the HDS community for nearly a decade, taking courses part time since 2015 and serving on the HDS Dean’s Council for nearly seven years. From 2019-2022, he was a Religion and Public Life fellow, and he was a full-time student in 2023-24, when he was enrolled in the Master’s in Religion and Public Life degree program.

In recognition of Cader-Frech's generous gift to HDS, the Sperry Room in Swartz Hall will be renamed to the Cader Room. The change is scheduled to take place later this summer.

Read the full article at hds.harvard.edu

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