WILLIAM FOXWELL ALBRIGHT, whose distinguished career the Meyerhoffs honored through the endowment of this chair, headed the Johns Hopkins program in Near Eastern Studies for nearly 30 years before his retirement in 1958. He was the first major scholar to authenticate the Dead Sea Scrolls and also was held in high regard for his scholarship demonstrating the Bible’s use and interest as an historical record. Dr. Albright died in 1971.