The Ivan Fahs Symposium takes place each fall and consists of a lecture and chapel message given by a notable sociologist or anthropologist. The 2012 Fahs Symposium speaker was Dr. Mwenda Ntarangwi, Director of IAPCHE, an organization dedicated to networking Christian scholars & institutions worldwide, with its head office located at Calvin College in Grand Rapids.
Past speakers have included:
- Warden Burl Cain
- Dr. Marla Frederick
- Dr. Christian Smith
- Dr. Melba Maggay
- Dr. Lisa McMinn
- Dr. Robert Priest
- Dr. Peter Cha
- Dr. Laura Montgomery
- Dr. Michael Lindsey
Ivan J. Fahs served the Sociology Department at Wheaton College faithfully for many years as a professor. He was a gentle man who wanted Sociology to serve "the least of these." He was a friend of the homeless, he was a friend of the powerless, and he acted as a servant leader in everything that he did. Ivan loved life to the fullest. He took time for conversations with people, and he made Sociology meaningful to eveyone he met. He loved the Lord with all his heart, and he loved people just as much. Behind a tenacious commitment to excellence was a man of great compassion. He went to be with his Lord in January of 2002, and the Ivan J. Fahs Memorial Seminar Room was dedicated in his honor. In October 2003, the department sponsored its first conference in memory of Dr. Ivan Fahs.