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 He is little known today, but among the greatest of literary talents produced by the 20th century, Professor E. Merrill Root was a colossus. He was widely read and widely published, his brilliant and often beautiful essays appearing in such publications as Human Events, National Review, Freeman, New York Times, Literary Digest, New York Herald Tribune, and American Opinion. More importantly, he was the ideal of the liberally educated man, knowledgeable and conversant in literature, philosophy, religion, and science, but dedicated to only one thing, the eternal truths that he saw, already in the 1950s and 1960s, slipping from the mind of man. To recover those truths, and to remind his readers of their importance, was Professor Root's singular passion, a passion that long remained a theme that informed all of his written work. Like many of the great conservative scholars of his day, Professor Root recognized the central importance of education in either forming man's attachment to eternal truths, or in leading him astray into a forest of trivialities. As a result, he dedicated much of his work to uncovering the increasing problems that then were afflicting the nation's education system and published two best-selling books on the subject: Collectivism on the Campus and Brainwashing in the High Schools. In 1964 he returned to the subject of education in an essay for American Opinion magazine in which he described the purpose to be filled by the hypothetical "Great College." The unique and sole purpose of such an institution, he wrote, "is to preserve the heritage of man. The great college, amid the shifting winds of the world, must save and serve the light that shines unshaken across every wind. It must save and serve quality, value, and meaning." In short, Professor Root concluded, any college that wishes to be great, will strive to preserve mankind's attachment to and understanding of, the great eternal truths. Now, for the first time made available from the archives, American Opinion Foundation is pleased to present Professor Root's essay, "The Idea of the Great College."
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Russell Kirk was a man of tremendous influence in post World War II America. Literary critic, political theorist, and historian, Kirk was an ardent defender of the liberal arts in American higher education and was likewise a defender of traditional American conservatism. His landmark book, The Conservative Mind, has been an ever-present influence on conservative social and political thought since it was published in 1953.
Dr. Medford Evans served as an administrative officer on the project to build the first atomic bomb and authored the book The Secret War for the A-Bomb in 1953. As a teacher and professor, Dr. Evans was a strong supporter of the liberal arts tradition, but saw first hand the decline in quality liberal arts instruction in America. A conservative critic and author, Dr. Evans wrote frequently for American Opinion magazine, frequently on the subject of education. One of his most important essays on the subject was entitled "What Are We Teaching Our Children." His observations cast light on the development of trends in education since the 1960s. American Opinion Foundation is proud to present the unabridged text of Dr. Evans' important essay.
Money is a "way of keeping score in life," says T. Boone Pickens. But that is just for those who like playing the game. The real goal is to live with grace and dignity. You can do that with a small amount of money...or not do it with a fortune.