"The Uses of the History of Ideas" Summer Video Series Pt. 3 from Visiting Scholar Alan Ryan
Don't let summer keep you from intellectual pursuits! As John Dewey (ΦBK, Univ. of Vermont, 1879) once said, "Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself." In that spirit we created the Phi Beta Kappa Summer Video Series. This marks the end of our Summer Video Series, but be sure to keep an eye on our YouTube page, where we'll be posting Visiting Scholar lectures on a variety of topics throughout the year.
Here, Professor Ryan remarks on the importance of confidence and humility, and how academic freedom serves as intellectual liberation.
Professor Ryan is former warden of New College and a preeminent scholar whose fields of study include: liberal education, theories of property and philosophy of the social sciences. He has written extensively on these topics, including the books Liberal Anxieties and Liberal Education, John Dewey and the High Tide of American Liberalism, and Bertrand Russell, A Political Life. For a transcript of this video, please email our Coordinator of Communications.
"Academic Freedom as Intellectual Liberation" Summer Video Series Pt. 2 from Visiting Scholar Alan Ryan
Don't let summer keep you from intellectual pursuits! As John Dewey (ΦBK, Univ. of Vermont, 1879) once said, "Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself." In that spirit we present the Phi Beta Kappa Summer Video Series. Over the course of the summer, we will post one installment per month of Professor Ryan's videos, each on an original and timely topic.
Here, Professor Ryan discusses freedom of expression and its role in higher education, from Germany's Lehrfreiheit to the dismissal of Edward A. Ross from Stanford in 1900.
Professor Ryan is former warden of New College and a preeminent scholar whose fields of study include: liberal education, theories of property and philosophy of the social sciences. He has written extensively on these topics, including the books Liberal Anxieties and Liberal Education, John Dewey and the High Tide of American Liberalism, and Bertrand Russell, A Political Life. To receive the next Summer Video Series installment straight to your inbox, please email our Coordinator of Communications.
"Do We Really Believe in Democracy?" Summer Video Series Pt. 1 from Visiting Scholar Alan Ryan
Don't let summer keep you from intellectual pursuits! As John Dewey (ΦBK, Univ. of Vermont, 1879) once said, "Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself." In that spirit we present the Phi Beta Kappa Summer Video Series. Over the course of the summer, we will post one installment per month of Professor Ryan's videos, each on an original and timely topic.
Here, he compares Athenian, Roman, and modern American democracies and raises questions of what Athenian democracy would look like in present-day America. What if we were all required, as citizens, to spend a few years as members of Congress?
Professor Ryan is former warden of New College and a preeminent scholar whose fields of study include: liberal education, theories of property and philosophy of the social sciences. He has written extensively on these topics, including the books Liberal Anxieties and Liberal Education, John Dewey and the High Tide of American Liberalism, and Bertrand Russell, A Political Life. To receive the next Summer Video Series installment straight to your inbox, please email our Coordinator of Communications.
Visiting Scholar Faye Ginsburg at U of Oklahoma: "Native Intelligence: A Short History of Debates on Indigenous Media"
On March 11, 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Faye Ginsburg visited the University of Oklahoma to present "Native Intelligence: A Short History of Debates on Indigenous Media" The visit was sponsored by the Alpha of Oklahoma chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
The Visiting Scholar Program makes available every year a dozen or so distinguished scholars. The men and women participating during 2009-2010 will visit 48 colleges and universities, spending two days at each one, meeting informally with students and faculty members, taking part in classroom discussions, and giving a public lecture open to the entire academic community. The visits are designed primarily for undergraduate participation.
The purpose of the program is to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus by making possible an exchange of ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students. A total of 4,736 visits have been made by the 565 Visiting Scholars who have taken part in the program during the past 53 years.
Visiting Scholar Linda Gordon at LSU: "Visual Democracy: How Dorothea Lange Used Photography to Promote Equality"
On April 15, 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Linda Gordon visited Louisiana State University to present "Visual Democracy: How Dorothea Lange Used Photography to Promote Equality" The visit was sponsored by the Beta of Louisiana chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
The Visiting Scholar Program makes available every year a dozen or so distinguished scholars. The men and women participating during 2009-2010 will visit 48 colleges and universities, spending two days at each one, meeting informally with students and faculty members, taking part in classroom discussions, and giving a public lecture open to the entire academic community. The visits are designed primarily for undergraduate participation.
The purpose of the program is to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus by making possible an exchange of ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students. A total of 4,736 visits have been made by the 565 Visiting Scholars who have taken part in the program during the past 53 years.
Visiting Scholar Jean Comaroff at Austin College: "Nations With/out Borders: The Problem of Belonging in Africa & Beyond"
On April 20, 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Jean Comaroff visited Austin College to present "Nations With/out Borders: The Problem of Belonging in Africa and Beyond." The visit was sponsored by the Iota of Texas chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
The Visiting Scholar Program makes available every year a dozen or so distinguished scholars. The men and women participating during 2009-2010 will visit 48 colleges and universities, spending two days at each one, meeting informally with students and faculty members, taking part in classroom discussions, and giving a public lecture open to the entire academic community. The visits are designed primarily for undergraduate participation.
The purpose of the program is to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus by making possible an exchange of ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students. A total of 4,736 visits have been made by the 565 Visiting Scholars who have taken part in the program during the past 53 years.
Installation of the Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at the College of St. Benedict - St. John's University
On April 27, the Theta of Minnesota chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was installed at the College of St. Benedict - Saint John’s University. Phi Beta Kappa Secretary John Churchill and Associate Secretary Scott Lurding represented the national office of the Society as part of the installation ceremony. ΦBK Vice President Kate Soule also attended.
The installation ceremony marked the commencement of Scholarship and Creativity Day for CSB/SJU.
“Phi Beta Kappa is extremely thorough; the Society put us through a real test of endurance as well as a very detailed examination of our faculty, our curriculum, our administration and our budgets,” said Richard Albares, associate professor of sociology at CSB/SJU and one of the faculty leaders of the chapter application process. “It took the efforts of dozens and dozens of people to make this happen.”
“Phi Beta Kappa membership is a validation of College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University’s place among the nation’s best liberal arts and sciences institutions, and a reflection of our long history of academic excellence,” said College of St. Benedict President Mary Ann Baenninger and St. John’s University President the Rev. Robert Koopmann, OSB, in a joint statement. “The granting of the chapter both acknowledges the teaching and scholarly accomplishments of our faculty and offers an opportunity for our very best students to become members of this illustrious honor society.”
Visiting Scholar Andrew Odlyzko at Augustana College: "Technology Manias: from Railroads to the Internet and Beyond."
On March 25, 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Andrew Odlyzko visited Augustana College to present "Technology Manias: From Railroads to Internet and Beyond." The visit was sponsored by the Zeta of Illinois chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
The Visiting Scholar Program makes available every year a dozen or so distinguished scholars. The men and women participating during 2009-2010 will visit 48 colleges and universities, spending two days at each one, meeting informally with students and faculty members, taking part in classroom discussions, and giving a public lecture open to the entire academic community. The visits are designed primarily for undergraduate participation.
The purpose of the program is to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus by making possible an exchange of ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students. A total of 4,736 visits have been made by the 565 Visiting Scholars who have taken part in the program during the past 53 years.
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Installation of the Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Part I
On March 17, the Xi of Virginia chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was installed at James Madison University.
The chapter installation ceremony was part of the annual James Madison Week.
John Churchill, the national secretary of Phi Beta Kappa, spoke at the installation on the importance of the liberal arts and sciences. In his address to the first class of inductees, Churchill reflected on how Phi Beta Kappa has affected his life, and the lives of other inductees, over the years.
James Madison University President Linwood H. Rose believes that having a Phi Beta Kappa chapter is a reflection of the excellence of the JMU community. “Selection by Phi Beta Kappa signifies a broader awareness of the quality of our faculty while also recognizing the scholarly capability of a bright and talented student body,” he said.
Installation of the Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Part II
On March 17, the Xi of Virginia chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was installed at James Madison University.
The chapter installation ceremony was part of the annual James Madison Week.
John Churchill, the national secretary of Phi Beta Kappa, spoke at the installation on the importance of the liberal arts and sciences. In his address to the first class of inductees, Churchill reflected on how Phi Beta Kappa has affected his life, and the lives of other inductees, over the years.
James Madison University President Linwood H. Rose believes that having a Phi Beta Kappa chapter is a reflection of the excellence of the JMU community. “Selection by Phi Beta Kappa signifies a broader awareness of the quality of our faculty while also recognizing the scholarly capability of a bright and talented student body,” he said.
Visiting Scholar John Coatsworth at UFL: "Latin America and the U.S.: A New Era?"
On March 29th , 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar John Coatsworth visited the University of Florida to present "Latin America and the United States: A New Era?" The visit was sponsored by the Beta of Florida chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
The Visiting Scholar Program makes available every year a dozen or so distinguished scholars. The men and women participating during 2009-2010 will visit 48 colleges and universities, spending two days at each one, meeting informally with students and faculty members, taking part in classroom discussions, and giving a public lecture open to the entire academic community. The visits are designed primarily for undergraduate participation.
The purpose of the program is to contribute to the intellectual life of the campus by making possible an exchange of ideas between the Visiting Scholars and the resident faculty and students. A total of 4,736 visits have been made by the 565 Visiting Scholars who have taken part in the program during the past 53 years.
Historian Thomas Bender at the 2009 Triennial Council
On October 3, 2009 Historian and Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Thomas Bender presented "American History in a Global Perspective" to the delegates of the 42nd Triennial Council.
The legislative body of the Phi Beta Kappa Society is the Council, which convenes every three years to transact business for the Society as a whole. The Council alone has the authority to charter new chapters. Delegates to the Council are the representatives of the Phi Beta Kappa chapters and associations. They are elected for a term of three years, with each chapter electing up to three delegates and each association (with 25 or more members) electing one delegate. Associations of 200 or more members may elect two delegates.
Installation of the Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at Butler University in Indianapolis
Butler University became home to a new chapter of Phi Beta Kappa on February 4.
The installation ceremony for the Theta of Indiana chapter was combined with the university's Founders Day Celebration on the Butler campus, entitled a Celebration of Scholarship. Butler was one of four new chapters approved by the Society on Oct. 2 at the 42nd Triennial Council in Austin, Tx. Phi Beta Kappa Secretary John Churchill spoke at the event. Twenty Butler faculty and staff members are Phi Beta Kappa members, including President Bobby Fong. Paul Valliere, McGregor Professor in the Humanities, chaired the committee that submitted Butlers formal chapter application in October 2007.
Inaugural Phi Beta Kappa Lecture Series, New York City
Five days before President Barack Obama took the oath of office, Phi Beta Kappa members in New York City participated in the inaugural Phi Beta Kappa Lecture Series, “The Changing of the Guard in Washington — What to Expect?” The speaker, broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff from “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer,” discussed the outlook for the new president, problems facing the United States, and the domestic and international issues his administration will face. Immediately following Woodruff’s lecture, Bill Baker served as the moderator in a roundtable discussion with other journalists. Baker is the Claudia Aquaviva Distinguished Professor of Education Journalist-in-Residence at Fordham University and president emeritus of Educational Broadcasting Corporation. The lecture was held on the evening of January 15, 2009, at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center Campus.
Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards 2008, Williamsburg, Va.
The Phi Beta Kappa Book Awards are given annually in December. This year, Leor Halevi received the Ralph Waldo Emerson Award for Muhammad’s Grave: Death Rites and the Making of Islamic Society, Peter Brooks received the Christian Gauss Award for Henry James Goes to Paris and Neil Shubin received the Phi Beta Kappa Book Award in Science for Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body. The Society presented the awards on December 5 at the Williamsburg Lodge in Colonial Williamsburg, Va. Donald Lamm, former chairman of the board of W. W. Norton, was the keynote speaker.
Churchill Inaugurates ODK Distinguished Lecture Series at Emory University
John Churchill, the secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, gave the first Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Lecture on February 20, 2008. Using leadership models from the Heroic Age to the Age of Reason, with an eye toward leadership for more contemporary times, Churchill explored the ethical dimension of leadership. This lecture marks the beginning of a new program by ODK, America’s national leadership honor society.
Paul Farmer at Occidental College, Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa
New York entrepreneur Robert Merriman Ruenitz has given Occidental College $320,000 to establish the Phi Beta Kappa Distinguished Speakers Forum. This initiative will bring a provocative speaker to the campus each spring.The inaugural program was held February 17, 2008. Paul Farmer of Partners in Health and Harvard University addressed an overflow audience on "Global Health Equity Examples from Haiti to Rwanda." After the presentation, he joined students for a luncheon at the home of Occidental President Susan Prager.