Russell Guerrero

210-999-8406

rguerrer@trinity.edu

NOTED CULTURAL HISTORIAN  JAQUES BARZUN TO SPEAK ON THE QUESTION ‘WHAT IS A SCHOOL?’

Oct. 1, 2001 – Jaques Barzun, the celebrated professor of history and author of the best selling book From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, will give a rare public presentation titled “What is a School,” at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, in Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium.  The event is free and open to the public. “After 40 years of critiques, programs, projects, and billions spent for hopeful innovations in teaching, learning, and administration – all with meager results – it is apparent that we have forgotten what a school is in its fundamentals and intended purpose,” says Dr. Barzun. “These are further confused by the anti-educational method of testing and the anxious scanning of scores as they go up and down a few points.” Instead of offering yet another critique or program to fix our schools, Dr. Barzun will give a reminder of the main elements of schooling.  Highlights include the teacher’s mind at work; the mind of the students during learning; the subjects that are teachable; proper testing and grading; the role of the principal, the superintendent, and the school board; and what teachers in training should know. Dr. Barzun has been recognized as one of our last living men of letters.  He was named a professor emeritus of Columbia University in 1975 after a distinguished academic career that began at Columbia in 1927.  He has written extensively on the subject of learning and his works include Teacher in America, Music in American Life, The House of Intellect, Science: The Glorious Entertainment, The Use and Abuse of Art, The Modern Researcher, Simple and Direct and A Catalogue of Crime.  His latest book From Dawn to Decadence,  was released last year, when Dr. Barzun was 93 years old.  It received critical acclaim and became a nationwide bestseller For more information, call the office of public relations at (210) 999-8406.

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Last updated on October 24, 2001 by the Office of Public Relations