Educating the Whole Man
As many on campus are all too aware, I like to make lists.
So I had to smile when I heard the theme for this edition: “The ‘W’ Factor.”
My mind raced in search of words starting with “W” that might illuminate the reasons this College so profoundly shapes the lives of Wabash men. And I had a bunch all ready to go: “The Five W’s!” Then I realized that wasn’t going to work. Not this time. Because there’s one word that encompasses them all.
Depending on its context, the word “whole” can mean complete, unbroken, or undivided.
At Wabash, it means all of these.
Wabash educates the whole man; it’s an education that requires the whole of Wabash—students, faculty, staff, alumni, family, and friends; and it’s work we do wholeheartedly.
the wholeness of a Wabash education springs naturally from the College’s motto, Scientiae et Virtuti— knowledge and virtue. Through the Wabash experience, we teach equal parts knowledge and virtue. Or, as College Poet Donald Baker H’57 once put it, “knowledge and manhood; know-how and guts; wisdom and moral courage.”
Educating the whole person means that we give students a liberal education and a crash course on applied ethics all at the same time. It’s contemplation in action.
This education of the whole man takes many forms with many teachers.
In this edition of Wabash Magazine, you’ll find political science Professor Lorraine McCrary driving four of her students to spend a Sunday afternoon in conversation with farmer, poet, novelist and activist Wendell Berry around his kitchen table in Port Royal, KY.
There’s Courtney and Jason Bridges ’98 taking interns into their home every summer on Nantucket Island to teach them entrepreneurship and emotional intelligence.
There’s psychology Professor Eric Olofson working with Kirby Cox ’18 and Alexiz Aurellano ’18 on an academic research project, but also inviting them into his home and family.
There’s Gregory Castanias ’87 arguing a landmark case in front of the Supreme Court, then joining his wife, Jane, to be honored with the national 2017 Angels in Adoption Award for their advocacy work.
And there’s Steven Woods ’93 taking the field for the first time as a full-time NFL official, wearing #54 in honor of the late John Dirksing ’93, and taking the time to write to John’s parents to let them know their son is not forgotten.
at the heart of this synthesis of knowledge and virtue is the Gentleman’s Rule, our Golden Rule on steroids. Some call it a “code of conduct,” but it is more a way of life.
Entrepreneur and CEO Henry O’Connell ’75 offers this interpretation of the Gentleman’s Rule more than four decades after Wabash President Thad Seymour H’78 rang in his class. His words speak to the lifelong impact this education of the whole man has on our alumni:
“The Gentleman’s Rule? That particular philosophy permeates everything we do and all that we are. Teaching us that at the core allows us to achieve things that otherwise we might not.
“If we live our lives in accordance with that rule—to respect others, to respect ourselves, and to remember who we represent—we will have a life of excellence.”
in late september I stood surrounded by many such lives of excellence during the Glee Club Reunion Concert celebrating the group’s 125th anniversary. More than 150 former and current members performed. They rehearsed for three days—as Ben Whitehouse ’99 put it, “making new Wabash memories”—and the men I talked to said they found joy in every minute of it.
We often recognize people’s affinity for their living units, majors, or class years, but there are other strands that connect alumni. The tapestry is deep and interwoven. For many, the Glee Club is both their main connection to the College and the group that took them out into the world.
I was honored to be invited to join them to sing “Old Wabash.” Believe me, I sang quietly. But I listened carefully to those men from different generations, majors, professions, and beliefs harmonizing around me—noticed the audience joining in with gusto—and I could hear the sound of that holistic Wabash education.
Whole men, the whole of Wabash, singing together and, definitely, wholeheartedly.
GREGORY HESS
President | hessg@wabash.edu