Macalester College - Quid Nunc Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

Page 11 text:

wmv .4 ' dr. harvey m. rice, presidenf

Page 10 text:

MACALESTER COLLEGE SAINT PAUL 1, MINNESOTA OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT June, To the Class of l959: The opportunity to address a letter to the graduating class at Macalester is one that I deeply cherish. Our first year together has been, for me, a thril ling, challenging and exciting one. I am particularly pleased that you have selected for your issue of The Mac the theme, Macalester's role in education as a liberal arts college. Education can be defined as the maturing of the mind. Maturing is accom- panied by growth, and education provides for the growth of the intellect. Alfred North Whitehead described education as a movement of the mind from free- dom through discipline to freedom again. The freedom of the uneducated mind is the freedom of irresponsibility, of unchanneled movement. Through acquisition of knowledge the mind disciplines itself to accept responsibility, to undertake an ordered approach to the solution of problems. Knowledge also frees the mind from ignorance, superstition, bigotry and prejudice. This is growth. It is to be noted, however, that everywhere in nature growth takes place only when nur- ture is supplied. Liberal arts education can therefore be described as the nurture of the mind. The goals of a liberal education are the life-time intellectual goals of any educated person. At Macalester we identify certain areas of knowledge which our curriculum must include to achieve these goals. One such area is knowledge of one's self, of man's biological and psychological nature. Another is know- ledge of other persons, which must include an understanding of human behavior. Gthers are knowledge of the scientific world, and of one's own and of other cul- tures. A historical View of the achievement of man's social, artistic and intellectual attainments, also, is essential, and a knowledge of man's philoso- phical and religious drives and needs is returning to the greater importance it formerly held. Perhaps the primary purpose of liberal education, however, is to create those attitudes, values, and habits of mind and thought that have characterized the educated mind through the centuries. Significant among these are such attributes of the educated person as intellectual curiosity, the capacity to think clearly, the ability to be tolerant, to exercise balanced judgment, to want to possess personal and moral integrity, and the acceptance of responsi- bility for others than one's self. It is our purpose to improve the excellence of Macalester in every way we possibly can. As you leave the College this year, our thoughts and affection go with you, and we hope you will keep in close touch with us in order to do your part as graduates to achieve the goals for the College which are yours and ours for its great future. Very sincerely yourii 'Af Harvey M. Rice

Page 12 text:

Faculty members are the core ot a liberal arts education. They are not here to gain tame but to teach and carry out the coIIege's purposes. ln addition to imparting knowledge they act as advisors who are ever alert to the changing demands ot the world upon today's students. Yet the quality which makes them unique and which is responsible tor their well-earned reputation can be put into one word, concern. Concern for the college in terms of its future needs and concern tor the individual student in helping him to enter realms ot thought never before encountered. This consequently contributes to clear thinking and the use ot one's intellect for purposeful thought and study.