Brown University - Liber Brunensis Yearbook (Providence, RI)

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LEAFING through a mound of departmental paperwork, Professor Elmer E. Cornwell, Jr. smiled and explained that chairing a growing political science department is a time-consuming job, but somebody has to do it. He is grateful, however, that the University has abandoned its policy of life chairmanships because the work involved interferes with a professor's teaching and research. In the case of Dr. Cornwell the interference is not evident. He has found time to teach two popular undergraduate courses each semester and to publish, in January, 1965, Presidential Leadership of Public Opinion. Since joining the Brown faculty in 1955 as an assistant professor, he has seen the political science department grow from 25 students and a few professors to its present size of 60 to 70 concentrators. The high turnover of faculty which characterized the early years has been reduced to almost nil by the excellent hiring practices of Professor Cornwell and his im- mediate predecessor, Professor Dodge. Dr. Cornwell denies that recent developments in the sciences have caused it to outstrip the humanities during President Keeney's tenure. He points to the university professors in the departments of history, religious studies, and political science. The Chinese Center, summer stipend pro- grams, and additional funds for the humanities and social studies have all come about under President Keeney. The political science department hopes to establish a center for political leadership in the near future. In the next two or three years, at the end of his tenure as department chairman, Professor Cornwell plans to take a sabbatical leave in England to study the British Prime Ministership on lines roughly paralleling those he followed in his study of the American President. If past performance is any indication, we can expect a book valuable to the scholar, the student, and the general public. A SEMINAR by candlelight held during the November 9 power failure exemplifies the devotion to his profession of William McLoughlin, Pro- fessor of History. For the last three years he has taught a most provocative and challenging course, The Social and Intellectual History of the United States. Every one of his lectures is a comprehensive discourse on a topic, including some facts but mostly historical concepts and personal and scholarly interpretations. Despite an extensive list of required reading, his course continues to draw increasing numbers of undergraduatesas well as many grad studentswho are willing to devote the time and effort necessary to make the course as intellectually rewarding as possible. Dr. McLoughlin has centered the majority of his historical research on subjects related to the history of religion in America; he offers a bi-annual course and yearly seminar in that area. Completed early this year was a history of the separation of Church and State in New England. A biography of Baptist preacher and Brown trustee Isaac Backus is soon to be published by Litdle Brown An anthology of Backus's pamphlets is now being pre- pared for the John Harvard Library. Most important in the series of books on Backus, 4 long neglected champion of religious liberty, is the beginning of a major project financed in part by Brown and in part by the National Historical Archives Commission. Over the next ten vears, if all goes as planned, the Brown University Press will publish ten volumes of the Backus papers, collected and edited by Professor McLoughlin Somewhere among the wealth of historical materials in Dr. McLoughlin's office is the beginning of a textbook for 8th graders on the history of religion in America. The professor remarks, Scholars have an obligation to write for students in the primary and secondary schools, not only for other scholars A man of great learning, dedication, and the highest principles, William McLoughlin takes more than his share in the task of educating for excellence.

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POPULAR AND EFFECTIVE with his students, Assistant Pro- tessor S. Paul Kashap brings to Brown a highly diversified educa- tional background and two years of teaching experience. Born in India, Mr. Kashap received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree from the University of Bombay. He then attended the University of Edinburgh where he completed the four year course for the honors degree of Master of Arts in two years. He completed his education at Oxford and received the degree of Bachelor of Letters, an equivalent of the American Doctor of Philosophy. Mr. Kashap came to this country in 1961 and taught for a short time at Brown before joining the Wheaton College philosophy department. He returned to Brown as an assistant professor in 1963. His courses this year included a graduate seminar on Liebnitz, a course in ancient and medieval philosophy, and a course on the philosophy of religion. His lectures are notable for their careful preparation and for his willingness to discuss fully any questions brought up by his students. As a scholar Professor Kashap is particularly interested in meta- physics, logico-linguistic analysis, and moral philosophy. He has published one article in Analysis, and another one will appear shortly. Currently he is also working on the general outlines of a book on Spinoza's moral theory. Although there is no pressure on him from the department to do research, Professor Kashap finds it impossible to imagine not being working on some problem. He says that pressure for research comes from the individual himself if he is truly interested in his field of study. As his students can attest Professor Kashap combines excellent teaching ability with a vital interest in his subject. 2 PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE is the special field of Assistant Professor Jaegwon Kim of the philosophy department. A graduate of Dartmouth, Professor Kim received his doctorate from Princeton and taught at Swarthmore before coming to Brown three years ago. He is presently teaching a course in the philosophy of science and in symbolic logic. Considered a stimulating, even inspirational teach- er, Mr. Kim enjoys teaching both graduate and undergraduate students. This department has excel- lent graduate students, and it is possible to establish a professional rapport with them. As for undergrad- uates, he finds teaching them to be exciting. He feels that in some cases he can have an important influence on them in a way that is impossible with graduate students. Professor Kim has published about six scholarly pa- pers in his specialty. In his course on the philosophy of science and in his papers he examines concepts in science which are open to philosophical investigation. Such concepts as causation and explanation are ex- amined; other main questions have to do with the scientific method. Scientific ideas are considered with reference to philosophical theories of knowledge and metaphysics. Currently he is examining the mind- body problem. The combination of high general standards, an ex- cellent philosophy department, and a relaxed atmos- phere makes Brown attractive to Professor Kim. He enjoys teaching and studying here, and in just three years he has gained the admiration and respect of his students and colleagues.

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STUDENT, teacher, scholar, and administrator, C. Peter Magrath is the complete professor. He is a stu- dent in the wider sense, taking a broad historical approach to his field of political science and applying it to his specialty, constitutional development. As a tecacher he conducts one of the most highly praised courses in the University, American Constitutional Politics. His lectures are polished, detailed, exciting, and witty. Professor Magrath radiates his pleasure in teaching, especially to Pembrokers, whom he con- siders pretty, intelligent, and charming. As a schol- ar, he soon hopes to publish his second major book, Yazoo: Law and Politics in the New Republic. Dr. Magrath's role as Associate Dean of the Gradu- ate School occupies an increasingly large portion of his time. Although he has not moved his office from the comfortable confines of Prospect's basement to symbolic UH, Professor Magrath's attitudes on many topics are those of a seasoned administrator. He berates those undergraduates who take a parochial attitude toward the graduate school and those who do not try to understand it. Brown's graduate school, he says, is integrally related to the student's educa- tion, especially since four fifths of the senior class plan to go to graduate schools. Grad students are living with us, are in our classes, teach us, and grade us; it behooves undergraduates to come to know them. With Dean Magrath in command, we can look forward to a growth in the mutual respect and un- derstanding of Brown men and Brown's graduate students. GOOD FIELD-NO HIT, Forrest McDonald abandoned his hopes of being a big time baseball player and wound up as a major league historian. As an undergraduate at the University of Texas, he studied the sports pages of The New York Times from 1900 to 1944 and gained an exhaustive knowledge of baseball. After a hitch in the navy and a start at writing fiction, he realized that the major concern of his early life was historyif only of baseball. His efforts from that point centered on American history. Says Professor McDonald, I plunged in with demonic energyand here I am. He is the author of five books, the most recent being E Pluribus Unwm, the next for his course, The Formation of the American Republic. Dr. McDonald is known for his unique classroom manner, which combines wit and informality with an almost omniscient grasp of his subject. His desire in teaching is to jar students loose from the cliches they have clung to, agitate their minds, and disci- pline them to be able to think freely Professor McDonald notes that an occupational hazard of historians is to confuse what they are saying with real history. To cover 3 million pecople for a 20 year period is tough enough: he shudders at the thought of teach- ing the history of Western Europe in thirty weeks In 1964 Professor McDonald became involved with the Gold- water forces in Rhode Island. His motivation, though, was more curiosity than political fervor. Personally, he claims to be devoid of partisan feelings and emotional involvement. He regards politics as this nation's number one spectator sport although football gives it a good battle. To participate in it is not only a lot of fun but a chance for the historian to set the present in political perspective and relate it to America's past. Professor McDonald knows how to get the most worth out of whatever he is doing, and the students in his class are sure to share in the experience.