Dwight B. Waldo on Liberal Education Recorded By David Isaacson, Humanities Librarian

"I am grateful for tliis second opportunity, during '11JJv{V's centennial year, to say a few words about tlie mission of tlie Vniversity. It fias been a p{easure for me to step out of my portrait in waUo Library, and ta{/( a bit witli 'David Isaacson. {If I understand current student s{ang, lie rea{{y sliou{d get a {ife' but 1'm happy for liis company at niglit after tlie ribrary doses}.

((I want to focus today on tlie ribera{ arts tradition of interdisciprinary {earning we tried to insti{{ in our students even wlien we were ((mere{y II a teaclier training scliooL I address these observations not on{y to tlie facu{ty and students at '11JJv{v, but also to a{{ of tliose invo{ved in academic administration and especial{y to its new President Juditli I. 'Baifey, wlio comes, as I dU from tlie snowy sropes of 9-./Prtliern :Micliigan.

(tg?Jglit from its formative years, Western tried to give its students sometliing more tlian training in effective metliods of teacliing. In 1924, I ask!-d tlie facu{ty to te{{ me tliree tliings tliat, in tlieir judgment, were essential to our academic enterprise as a norma{ scliooL Some of tlie responses were tlie I(j.nd of pious p{atitudes you miglit e7([Ject teacliers to say to tlieir President. 'But I va{ued most tlie independent tliink!-rs, tlie ones tru{y dedicated to our common goa{ of encouraging students to tliin/(for tliemsdves. I was especial[y p{eased witli tlie fortliriglit opinions set fortli by 'Dr. wif{iam :McCrack!-n. {I note, witli p{easure, tliat tlie bui{ding ne?(t to tlie one named after me fias been named after :McCrack!-n. fJ..& one is probab[y a{ive now wlio remembers tliat wif{iam was acting President during tlie co{{ege year of 1922-23, as were as a tliouglitful reader of tlie facu{ty}.

('J{ere, for instance, is part of what :McCrack!-n described as tlie 'sine qua non' for a first crass fJ'eaclier fJ'raining Institution: )2t conscious effort to turn out brave men and {adies fair wlio /(now fO{kJ as were as bookJ, wlio can pray as wd{ as pray, wlio can wa{/(sedatdy wlien tliis seems advisab{e, or sliak!- a mean an/({e under propitious circumstances. t£mpfiasis on mora{ and spiritua{ va{ues as opposed to mere scliorastic or financial or sociaL 'Ilie incu{cation of tlie idea that man does not rive by bread a{one. '

"I cou{dn't agree witli Wi{riam more. 9-./P teaclier wortli liis saft tauglit on{y a subject . .9lnd I rik!- tlie fortliriglit way :McCrack!-n writes. J{e spok!- to liis students in tlie same way. fl'eacliers a{ways teacli an attitude toward rife as were as tlieir subject. In my day we were not afraid of tlie word (character.' :Mora{ education was just as important as inte{{ectua{ training. We tried to buiU readers wlio wanted to improve society by tlie force of tlieir actions as wd{ as tlieir ideas. We didn't a{ways succeet£ of course, but we /(new a ribera{ education was meant to riberate young men and women from liidebound tliinl(j.ng. I Iiope I am not a{one in recognizing that tliis ribera{ cause is also profound{y conservative - that a so{id ribera{ education conserves tlie best that fias been tliouglit and said. {.9ls a matter of fact, a conservative ribera{ education sliou{d also be radica{ - from tlie Latin, radi~ meaning to get at tlie root of what rea{[y matters. 'But I digress ... }

"I was especia{{y p{eased to see tlie tradition of tlie ribera{ arts continued wlien tlie co{{ege became a university and estab{islied tlie (jenera{ Studies curricu{um as were as tlie :Jianors Co{{ege. Our first mission wlien we were a teacliers co{{ege was to educate young men and women to tliin/( critica{[y and to mak!- informed mora{ decisions. fJ'eacliing students Iiow to create fesson prans or p{an ({earning outcomes' are important, but distinctfy fess important goals of a we{{jounded curricu{um.

()2tgain, a{tliougli I was not pliysica{{y present to give it my b{essing, tliis community sliou{d I(now tliat I was an entliusiastic supporter of tlie famous report by Professor t£meritus t£rnst 'Breisacli's .9l{{-Vniversity Committee on Libera{ t£ducation that deriberated during 1977 and 1978. {I liave wanted to converse witli 'Dr. 'Breisacli about tliis-lie frequents tlie ribrary-but lie fias been too preoccupied finisliing anotlier boo/( to tak!- a few moments to {eave liis ribrary carre{ on tlie tliird froor, stop at my portrait on tlie first froor, and have a chat. I cou{d tlien give Isaacson a niglit off}

"'But, above a{C it is not too rate, in 2003, to continue to try to imp{ement tlie recommendations of 'Breisacli 's famous report. I am especial{y fond of tliis document because it used crear, Iionest ranguage. fJ..&te tliis description of tlie va{ue of a ribera{ education: (Open societies encourage tlieir members not on{y to wor/(productive{y at a cliosen vocation, but also to imagine that tliings miglit be otlierwise. Sucli societies need Libera{ t£ducation and we must concern ourse{ves witli Libera{ t£ducation because, if genuine, it:

awak!-ns tlie mind to liitlierto untliouglit possibifitiesi

adds to tlie individua{ liuman rife tlie insiglits of generations past, and by e7([Janding our own rimited e7([Jerience enabfes us to read an e?(amined {ifei

Continued on page 6 President Waldo and David Isaacson.

PageS

Waldo on Liberal Education ... Continued from page 5

nurtures creative potentials ana capacaus for unaerstanaing as wel[ as inaucing respect for tfie riglits of otliers ana a sense of responsi6uity for tlie woda we inlia6it;

proviaes tlie necessary 6asis for a[[ intellectual aiscourse ana tlius for tlie enliancement of k.now[eage; ana

liigli[iglits tlie fact tliat at tlie lieart of liuman aecisions ana actions stana tTWral clioices. J

((It g[at!aens my spirit to reat! sucli words. '13ut let tliem not 6e mere rfietoric. Pay as mucli attention to tliese words as you to tfo to tlie new atli[etic facuity ana you wil[ liave a true university, one tliat Iionors scliofars as mucli as atli[etes.

((1 lOok. arouna me in amazement at tfie giant university tliat lias grown out of our tTWtfest little teacfier's college tliat openea its tfoors 100 years ago. '13ut size does not guarantee quality . .9lnd wliue tTWney is always necessary to erect 6uiUings and pay professors, we afso need dedication. :You cannot 6uy dedication; you liave to inspire it. 1 Iiope you continue to liave many professors, fiR!- William 9.{cCracR!-n, witli tfie courage and conviction to talk. 6ack. to tfieir President. 1 Iiope you really mean not merely to e;rpose students to tfie 'finer tliings in fife J 6ut tliat you fi6erate tfieir minds and spirits witli a true fi6eral education.

((1 wisli you wel[ in your ne7(t 100 years. II

'Dwiglit'13. waltfo

[Special thanks to John Winchell, in the University Archives, for retrieving documents from which the quotations are taken. They certainly helped Dr. Waldo refresh his memory of years past.]

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSllY

Dwight B. Waldo Library Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008-5353

Archives ... Continued from page 4

universities began providing on-campus housing for students. This researcher found detailed information about Walwood, Spindler, and Vandercook Halls in President Paul Sangren's papers.

Some may argue that the need for an Archive will diminish as we become a paperless society and information is retained on the Internet. Anybody pon­dering that may want to consider the presidential papers as a case study. President Dwight B. Waldo's (1904-1936) papers encompass 6 document boxes or about 3 cubic feet. His successor, Paul V. Sangren (1936-1960), left about 42 boxes. President James W. Miller (1961-1974) accumulated 110 boxes during his presi­dency. President John T. Bernhard (1974-1985) followed and routed 204 boxes to the Archives over the course of his presi­dency. President Haenicke and President Floyd averaged about 15 to 20 boxes annually. The presidential papers illus­trate the changing role of the presidency and the increasing complexity and growth of the institution as well as the justification for a University Archives program. The Archives are open to pubic researchers Tuesday through Friday, 8-5, and Saturdays, 12-4, in the Fall and Spring semesters. Inquiries about University history are always welcome.

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