The Thomas J. Dodd Research Center is named in honor of Connecticut Senator Thomas J. Dodd, who served as Executive Counsel to the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg following the Second World War.
Today, the Dodd Center houses houses the University Library’s Archives & Special Collections, the Center for Judaic Studies & Contemporary Jewish Life and the Human Rights Institute, and hosts exhibitions, events, and other activities for the campus community and broader public.
In 2020, the Dodd Center's human rights outreach and engagement programs joined the Human Rights Institute as Dodd Human Rights Impact.
Dodd Center History
Conceived and dedicated to preserve and extend the legacy of Connecticut Senator and Nuremberg International Military Tribunal Executive Trial Counsel Thomas J. Dodd (1907-1971), the Center was purpose built to provide a technologically-advanced environment for the preservation and care of valuable research materials, house critical university programs, and provide a forum for public events and exhibitions.
Through the support and initiative of University President John T. Casteen III and Senator Christopher J. Dodd and other members of the Dodd family, the Dodd Center was proposed and quickly became a priority for the Governor, General Assembly, and the University.
Designed by Fletcher-Thompson, Inc. of Bridgeport, the building won the American School & University Architectural Award Gold Citation and has served as a model for archival, research, and public programming facilities.
The building was completed in 1995 and formally dedicated on October 15 at a ceremony presided over by University President Harry J. Hartley, US Ambassador to Uruguay Thomas J. Dodd, Jr., Governor John G. Rowland, and President Bill Clinton.