Throughout the month of June, the Beckman Foundation will mark the 100-year wedding anniversary (June 10) of Arnold and Mabel Beckman with our #MilestoneMoment campaign. Celebrate with us as we spotlight their incredible decades-long partnership with a special lineup of virtual events and activities that look at unique details from their courtship, wedding, and honeymoon – including, of course, their connections to science!
Check back periodically as we post new previews of the live and pre-recorded content planned for this once-in-a-century anniversary campaign. Last update: June 30, 2025.
Press Contact:
Kaerie Ray, Curator + Communications Director
(949) 560-4232, [email protected]
Special Message from the Executive Director
"We mark an important milestone in the lifelong partnership of Arnold Beckman and Mabel Meinzer Beckman with the 100th anniversary of their wedding this month. While they first met in 1918, they maintained a long-distance relationship until their marriage in 1925, which began their journey together to California and eventually around the world as their business grew. Those that knew them best commented on the true partnership and mutual respect that they shared throughout their lives, with both of them participating in important decisions in their lives, business, and philanthropic efforts. They celebrated 64 years together until Mabel's passing in 1989, but we continue to be inspired by their commitment to each other and the lasting legacy of their impact." - Anne Hultgren, PhD
Scheduled Speakers (LIVE)
Registration has closed for this webinar. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE RECORDING.
About the Speaker: Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy, PhD, is the Irving M. Klotz Professor and an Associate Professor of Neurobiology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. She received a BA and a PhD in Neuroscience & Psychology from Princeton University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School as a Junior Fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows. The Kozorovitskiy laboratory is broadly focused on mechanisms of neuromodulation and neuroplasticity, synergizing biological discovery with optical and molecular methods development. Dr. Kozorovitskiy received the 2015 Beckman Young Investigator Award, and her subsequent honors include Sloan Research Fellowship, Searle Scholar, NSF CAREER, and OneMind Rising Star Awards. She received the Janett Rosenberg Trubatch Career Development Award from the Society for Neuroscience and is a past Kavli Frontiers of Science Fellow and Scialog Fellow in Advanced Bioimaging.
About the Talk: This presentation will cover some discoveries emerging from my 2015 BYI project on the interactions of dopamine and oxytocin systems, and our current work on the function and modulation of interbrain neural synchrony—motifs that touch upon the neural mechanisms underlying social bonding and love. (Duration: 20 minutes + Q and A)
Key Idea(s): Neuromodulatory landscapes shaping sociality
Registration has closed for this webinar. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE RECORDING.
About the Speaker: Peter Sachs Collopy is a historian, archivist, and curator of American science, technology, and media. As Head of Archives and Special Collections at Caltech, Peter leads a team that facilitates understanding of Caltech’s role in the history of science through research collections and exhibition.
About the Talk: From 1923 to 1939, Arnold Beckman was first a graduate student and then a professor at Caltech. I will discuss Arnold and Mabel Beckman’s relationships with Caltech and how Caltech changed during this period. (Duration: 20 minutes + Q and A)
Key Idea(s): Contextualization of the Beckmans' relationship with Caltech, starting in the first year of the Arnold and Mabel's marriage.
Registration has closed for this webinar. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE RECORDING.
About the Speaker: Michelle DiMeo is VP of Collections and Programs at the Science History Institute, where she oversees all library, museum, archival, and digital collections. She holds a PhD in English and History from the University of Warwick and is the author of "Lady Ranelagh: The Incomparable Life of Robert Boyle’s Sister" (University of Chicago Press).
About the Talk: This historical presentation will contextualize the Beckmans' courtship period (1918-1925) and provide an exploration of the challenges in telling the history of women's lives, such as that of Mabel Meinzer Beckman, which tend to have fewer archives. (Duration: 20 minutes + Q and A)
Key Idea(s): Women's history, Interwar Period, United States history, modernism, courtship
Scheduled Speakers (PRERECORDED)
Registration is not required. View this video (below) starting June 10.
About the Speaker: Dr. Cecilia Zurita-Lopez grew up in La Puente, California. She received a BS in Biochemistry from California State University, Los Angeles (CalStateLA), where she was recruited as an undergraduate by Frank Gomez (analytical chemistry laboratory) and later carried out research in the laboratory of Jamil Momand (biochemistry). She completed her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UCLA, where she joined the laboratory of Dr. Steven Clarke, and investigated enzymes that modify proteins called protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs). After this, she was a postdoctoral researcher, where, under the direction of Dr. Andrea Armani at the Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California (USC), she took part in developing a non-invasive detector for early-stage cancer cells. Having lost her mother to breast cancer, she was excited to contribute to the development of a device capable of detecting epigenetic markers prominent in cancer. Dr. Cecilia Zurita Lopez then took an appointment as an Assistant Professor at her alma mater, CalStateLA, whose diverse community allowed her to develop both teaching and research experience. At CalStateLA, she received extensive training in undergraduate research mentorship and was also awarded Emerging Scholar of the Year by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. In 2021, Dr. Cecilia Zurita Lopez joined the faculty at Chapman University, where she is now an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry. Her research is centered on the crosstalk between arginine methylation and phosphorylation of proteins. She is convinced that these types of interactions are critical to understanding fundamental processes and can lead the way to greater therapeutics and individual analysis of patients. She is committed to sharing her knowledge, skills, and love of science with enthusiastic students. One of her goals is to make her research interdisciplinary so that students from various backgrounds, ranging from biology, biochemistry, physics, and chemistry, can benefit. To this end, she has recently hosted a Professor of Engineering from the University of Guanajuato, Mexico, through the Fulbright Program. Dr. Cecilia Zurita Lopez has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (SC2). In addition, she has participated in major collaborative projects that were funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Science Foundation (MRI and RETTL).
Collaborative Team Member: Molly Niswender, 2025 Beckman Scholar
About the Talk: This collaborative video presents structural models of dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin, and explains their roles within the human body. It explores their potential correlative relationship to happiness, love and/or romance through the story of Arnold and Mabel Beckmans' courtship, wedding, and beyond. (Duration: 15:28 minutes)
Key Idea(s): Neuromodulatory molecules, social bonding, emotional connection, mood, memory, Beckman courtship
NOW AVAILABLE - ACCESS THIS PRE-RECORDED CONTENT:
Registration is not required. View this video and image carousel (both below) starting June 10.
About the Organization: The Huntington is a world-renowned cultural and educational institution founded in 1919 by Henry E. and Arabella Huntington. It supports research and promotes public engagement through its expansive library, art, and botanical collections. The Huntington's mission is to share its collections to support scholarship, foster learning, inspire creativity, and offer transformative experiences for diverse audiences.
About the Video: This video employs slow motion to give the viewer a special, extended look at The Huntington's renowned rose gardens, which span three acres and contain more than 2,500 individual plants. A beloved flower for centuries (Mabel chose a simple yet elegant combination of roses and lilies of the valley for her wedding bouquet), The Huntington's website suggests the rose's perfumed fragrance, broad palette of colors and forms, and ease of growth have made it a favorite for many.
Key Idea(s): Botanicals, roses, gardens, cultivation, horticulture, Mabel's wedding bouquet, floral fragrance, tour, The Huntington
NOW AVAILABLE - ACCESS THIS PRE-RECORDED CONTENT:
Even more from The Huntington:
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
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Credit: Linnea Stephan, The Huntington. Used with permission.
Registration is not required. View this video (below) starting June 16.
About the Speaker: I’ve been working as the Curator for the Niagara Region Archive for the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation since 2024. Prior to 2024, I worked in the archives field for over 10 years. I received my M.L.S. with a concentration in Archives from the University of Maryland and I have a B.A. in History with minors in Art History and International Studies from Niagara University.
About the Talk: This presentation is on the Free Niagara Movement and how Niagara Falls became a State Park. This year is the 140th anniversary of Niagara Falls becoming the oldest state park in the country. It officially opened to the public on July 15, 1885.
Key Idea(s): United States history, state parks, Niagara Falls, Beckman honeymoon, Free Niagara movement
NOW AVAILABLE - ACCESS THIS PRE-RECORDED CONTENT:
Registration is not required. View this article (below) starting June 27.
About the Speaker: Maid of the Mist President Christopher M. Glynn has announced the appointment of John Sicinski as executive vice president to oversee marine operations, marketing, retail, legal, human resources, and administrative functions. Sicinski has had a successful career in the maritime industry to include vessel operations, regulatory, shipyard management as well as propulsion system design team management at Maid of the Mist’s key supplier, ABB, which helped to make the electrification of the new Maid of the Mist boats James V. Glynn and Nikola Tesla a reality. “This is a generational hire for Maid of the Mist,” Glynn said. “John is highly credentialed, a great project manager, and a respected leader. His experience with electric vessels is a perfect fit for our all-electric, zero-emission vessels which continue to set the standard for green transportation in the marine industry.” Sicinski is past president and COO of Maritime Consulting LLC, shipyard general manager for Illinois Marine Towing, Inc., and he was a surveyor and project manager for American Bureau of Shipping. “I am honored to have the invitation to join this innovative team at Maid of the Mist and especially excited to work on long term implementation of these two zero-emission all battery powered tour vessels,” Sicinski said. “Some have the courage to try something new. Few have the courage to be first. The entire industry is watching Maid of the Mist and we have positioned ourselves well with the right personnel throughout the organization to have these new vessels result in a huge success for Maid of the Mist, the state of New York as well as the electrification movement.” He is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and has a Master of Arts in Transportation and Logistics Management from American Military University.
About the Q+A: In this Beckman Friday Feature interview, John talks about Maid of the Mist's e-boats and what Arnold & Mabel Beckman may have experienced when they likely rode Maid of the Mist during the Niagara Falls, N.Y. stop of their honeymoon.
Key Idea(s): Maid of the Mist, electrification movement, e-boats, marine transportation, Niagara Falls, Beckman honeymoon, history, state parks
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Registration is not required. View this video (below) starting June 30.
About the Speaker: Kaerie Ray joined the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation in 2017 and serves as Curator and Communications Director. Previously, Kaerie was Director of Development & Communications with a foundation providing medical treatment grants and college scholarships for student-patients. She received her MBA from Western Governors University, BA from Vanguard University of Southern California, and graduate certificates in Museum Studies and Curation from Northwestern University and Sotheby’s Institute of Art, respectively. This fall, she begins a PhD program in Communication & Information Sciences at the University of Alabama.
About the Talk: This video explores details of Mabel (Meinzer) Beckman’s 1925 wedding ensemble and offers viewers access to a precious textile from inside the Foundation’s archive, providing a close-up view of Mabel’s 100-year-old wedding gown.
Key Idea(s): Fashion, textiles, preservation, Beckman wedding, Mabel, women’s history
NOW AVAILABLE - ACCESS THIS PRE-RECORDED CONTENT:
Register to Attend Zoom Sessions (FREE)
June 10, 2025 at 9am Pac Time - REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED FOR THIS WEBINAR
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE RECORDING
Speaker: Yevgenia Kozorovitskiy, PhD
“Synchrony of minds and brains: How dopamine and oxytocin collaborate for joy and love”
June 10, 2025 at 10am Pac Time - REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED FOR THIS WEBINAR
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE RECORDING
Speaker: Peter Sachs Collopy, PhD
“The Beckmans at Caltech”
June 11, 2025 at 10am Pac Time - REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED FOR THIS WEBINAR
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE RECORDING
Speaker: Michelle DiMeo, PhD
“The Beckmans’ Courtship: Falling in Love in Interwar America”
Inside the Archive
He was a Marine. She was a Red Cross worker. They met at a Thanksgiving Dinner held at the local Y.M.C.A. in 1918, and married on a Wednesday afternoon at All Saints Church in 1925. The Greenpoint Weekly Star newspaper gave all the wedding details about Mabel's gown, bouquet, the guests, and more in an article titled, "Y.M.C.A. Romance Leads to Altar."
At the Beckmans' wedding ceremony, Miss Marguerite Bischel of the All Saints Church Choir in Bayside sang "O Promise Me." Written by de Kovin, the song was originally recorded by Harry McDonough for Edison-Bell at the turn of the century, then popularized in Robin Hood (1913) by Elizabeth Spencer and re-recorded for Edison, catalog 80057. Retrieved online at archive.org. Listen:
Notes: Digitized at 80 revolutions per minute, transferred from record using four styli (0.7mil elliptical, 2.3mil truncated conical, 2.8mil truncated conical, and 2.0mil truncated conical). Long lead-in, may require additional volume. (Retrieved online at archive.org)
After the wedding ceremony, Arnold and Mabel and their guests celebrated with a reception at the home of Mabel's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer T. Meinzer. They planned a honeymoon cruise aboard the S.S. South American, sailing between Chicago, Mackinac Island, Parry Sound, Ont., Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo (Niagara Falls).
Social Media
Sign our Virtual Guest Book
Want to share a favorite memory of Arnold and Mabel, or a valuable life lesson learned from their relationship? Interested in giving kudos to one of our campaign speakers? Celebrating a #MilestoneMoment of your own?
Sign our virtual guest book by submitting your message to the moderator. Once approved, your note will be added to this page like the examples shown below.
