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THE GREAT IDEAS ONLINE Happy 97th Birthday Mortimer Adler
--Mortimer Adler Dear Mortimer, There is no adequate way that I can express my love and affection for all the good times we have shared and all wisdom you have imparted. I have learned more than I could have hoped for but I have a lot more to learn. I hope to keep celebrating your birthdays for many years to come! With all good wishes, Nina Houghton
Happy Birthday to the Greatest Mid-wife of the mind of the millennium. What a wonderful & life changing experience it has been to have a chance to be at you table. Many Happy Returns, Pete Thigpen
Among the many there are the few, Happy Birthday Mortimer! Gary Dunn
Dear Max: I can think of no one who deserves the gift of old age more than my friend Mortimer. Since he has spent his entire lifetime learning wisdom then it is only fitting that he be given all the years possible to enjoy it. I think of Mortimer is some fashion or another as I survey the foolishness of the present day. When I think of all the battles Mortimer fought for the sake of true education, I can only imagine how much worse things would be if he had not made his Herculean effort. Slowly and surely Adlerian common sense will return -- I already see it creeping back in at our local public and private schools in Northern Virginia. It will take perhaps another 97 years to recover what Mortimer fought for, but all of us 'great bookies' should be disposed to take the long view. Here's to Mortimer, our teacher!
Deal W. Hudson
To: Mortimer, Max and the family at the Center... Even though I haven't participated in the stimulated discussions during the year, I have enjoyed the subject matter and discussions very much. You and your team do a fine job in promoting the philosophy we all should be living by. Special birthday greetings to Mortimer as well, and all best wishes for a Happy Holiday season to all of you. Walt Bentson
Dear Max, Mortimer Adler's 97th birthday -- what a memorable occasion! It's the perfect time to express gratitude for the many gifts he has bestowed on the public for the better part of the 20th century. We at Shimer College have a special reason to be grateful to Dr. Adler. It has been 50 years since the Great Books curriculum he championed was implemented at Shimer. At the time of the curricular makeover, Shimer was declining in enrollment and facing severe financial difficulties. While still not a rich school financially, Shimer is certainly rich in academic depth and rigor. Without the tireless efforts of Dr. Adler and some of his colleagues, notably the late Robert Maynard Hutchins, it's unlikely that the college would have survived, let alone thrived. To this day, the Great Books remain the cornerstone of the Shimer curriculum. Furthermore, Great Books programs are now springing up in colleges and universities all over the country. That's a wonderful tribute to the great legacy Dr. Adler and his colleagues have left to higher education in the United States. May both he and that legacy continue to prosper long into the 21st century. Sincerely,
David Shiner
Dear Dr. Adler, On behalf of The Center for Applied Philosophy and The Radical Academy, we would like to extend our birthday wishes to you on this, your 97th birthday. You have been an inspiration to all of us for many years and we wish you many more years of intellectual contribution to the cause of commonsense philosophical realism and its application to all human affairs. Happy Birthday and best regards,
Priscilla F. Harris, President
Dear Adler: I congratulate you and thank God for the blessing shared by you friends of reaching your 97th birthday while still very active intelectually. Your life is an example of how it is possible to make sense of one''s life by the pursuit of hapiness conditioned by the habit of virtue in the present age of the ego caracterized by irrationality, fragmentation and subjectivity. This was only possible due to your commitment and love for wisdom extracted from the great writers of western tradition whose teachings contemporary culture despises and excludes inspite of its immense value.
Luiz Felippe Penna
Dr. Adler: My sincerest wishes for a wonderful birthday. Your writings have had a tremendous and beneficial effect on my life. I wish I had been able to connect with them sooner, my fault not yours :-) A. B. Mac Farlane
Dear Dr. Adler, Your wit, perspicacity and longevity are all the proof I need of the twin values of Philosophy and a cultured life for the mind. I'm thrilled not only find you living, but still as sharp as a tack. Given that I once heard you say, "If I feel the need to exercise, I lie down and wait for it to pass," I can only wonder what I might achieve by reading Aristotle and exercising too! It boggles the mind.... Happy Birthday! Rob Ryan
May Dr. Adler live to be 120. Peace, Menasheh (Milton King)
Dear Dr. Adler, From you I learned how to do philosophy. And this made a radical difference in my life. Please accept my thanks on this special day.
Wing-Chiu Ng
Dear Dr. Adler: Happy Birthday, Dr. Adler. May you enjoy many more for spreading abroad your wisdom to seekers like me and certainly many others. It is now more than 50 years since I attended a speech you gave at the Wisconsin Teachers Association meeting in Milwaukee at what is now called the Milwaukee Technical College. Your fiery jeremiad challenged the audience of teachers to concentrate on teaching their students how to read a book. As I sat there taking notes for my reporting class in the school of journalism at Marquette, I could feel the rising pitch of excitement in the audience. It was a thrilling experience. Fifty years later, you still stand among us like a mighty lighthouse showing the way. Best, Don Thielke
Dear Max, Thanks much for the information about Dr. Adler's birthday. I'm honored to be included in the felicitations, especially since I think his work on reading has implications for the recovery of philosophy that few contemporary philosophers realize or appreciate. I plan to send out your message to members of the Maritain Association and to ask them to send felicitations to Dr. Adler along with any special note they might to add about the way his work might have influenced them. Along with Jacques Maritain, Etienne Gilson, Armand Maurer, Anton Pegis, Joseph Owens, Leo Sweeney, and a few others, Adler has been one of the few genuine and great philosophers of this century who have fought against the sophistic barbarisms that have brought Western culture and higher education to it current pathetic condition. Please tell him to hang around many more years. I don't want him to miss out on the best part of the fight. Best wishes, Peter Redpath
Dear Mortimer [and Max] 97!!! I've only known you for about a1/3 of those epic years. You're a very positive role model for me. I hope your next 97 are as productive and as wonderful. Barbara and I will say some prayers of Happiness for you. May your teachings inspire many others to soar to the level of impact that you're had!! Peace, Energy, Strength, Joy and $ Dick Dooley
Dear Dr. Adler: Your work and published material has influenced my life. Thank you for all your wonderful work. Max and all concerned: Thanks you so smuch for your greeting -- I am sending the same wishes for you and all who work in this service -- what a fine gift! Teddy Handfield
Dear Dr. Adler, Here's hoping your 97th orbit around the sun is an enjoyable one, with many more to come. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.
Ken Wareham
Dr. Adler, Have the happiest of birthdays. You will be pleased to know that your philosophical work continues to be a major source of guidance for many of us. Jay Gold
Dr. Adler, I wish you a memorable, blessed birthday. Thank you so much for all that you continue to give. Rubye Braye
Mr. Adler: You are truly a model of excellence. I can't imagine a greater honor or a more exacting test for living "the good life." Lion Goodman
Dear Doctor Adler: On the occasion of your 97th birthday, I send my personal best wishes for the day. I also thank you for the services you have rendered to humanity as philosopher, editor, teacher, and citizen of the world. In an age that sometimes seems strangely devoid of heroes, you are worthy, in every way, to be named as one. You are certainly one of mine, and the world is a better place for your presence. Good health to you, good sir, and Happy Birthday! Daniel Shull
Dear Dr. Adler, It is with a humble feeling of privilege and mind-felt thanks that I congratulate you on your 97th birthday; to experience your scholarship and published analysis of our civilization has been a great joy for me. Thank you and Happy Birthday! Jack Walsh
Max, Please give Mortimer the happiest of felicitations. My time spent with him and reading his writings are among my happiest hours, and I feel privileged to have had the experience. George Tener
Max, Dr. Adler's life-work -- his life long pursuit of the truth and the good life -- have been an inspiration to me. I credit Dr. Adler for bringing me to a point in my own life in which this pursuit of truth and wisdom has become my own. Dr. Adler inspired my efforts to join the public debate and the public effort to improve education. As the vice president of a local school board, I live and breath the words of Dr. Adler's "cohort" at the University of Chicago Dr. Robert Hutchins -- "The best education for the best is the best education for all." This year, I experienced another one of the great legacies of Dr. Adler's career -- the Great Books Week at Colby College. It was, to say the least, one of the most invigorating experiences of my life. To come together with roughly 200 adults, all of whom share a passion for the great ideas to be found in great books was inspiring. What an epiphany. More than 50 years have passed since Adler and Hutchins started the Great Books movement. I am pleased to report that it is alive and well. Your Center, the Great Books Foundation, Colby's Great Books Week -- they are all the great gifts of a great man. I thank you and Dr. Adler for everything you do to keep the vision of life long learning alive and well in modern society. I am proud of the small part I can play in your shared "labor of love." I wish him the best, and look forward to starting the millennium (if, indeed it really starts next year!) with you, Dr. Adler, Paul Harrison, Jay Gold and all the members of the Center. Sincerely, John Sheehan
Dear Dr. Adler: Please accept our congratulations on the occasion of your birthday celebration. God has been kind to bless us with your presence. May He continue to grace you in all that you do. Sincerely, Bill, Sheila, Sean, and Clare Hansen
Dear Dr. Adler, Many thanks for you commitment to liberal education & philosophy in the United States. I wish you a terrific birthday and great 2000! John Boleyn
Dear Mr. Adler, Congratulations on your 97th birthday! You have lived nearly the entire Twentieth Century. You were, and are, uniquely qualified to select the Great Books of the Twentieth Century. This you have done, quite well I might add, which are now included in the Great Books of the Western World, published by Encyclopaedia Britannica since 1990. I look forward to your selections for the Twenty-First Century to be included in the revised edition scheduled in 2090. Best Regards, Kevin S. Borgard
Happy Birthday, Mortimer Adler! Thank God for Mortimer Adler and the Center for the Study of The Great Ideas! Three cheers and God bless you!
Mark Moran
Mortimer, Unfortunately, you were born in a century that has not been kind to philosophy or ethics. Without your voice, virtue ethics would have been dead by now, and Aristotle's contributions lost for another century. Without your voice, the educational system would have continued its decline toward "advanced trivial pursuit" with no one to offer a serious alternative. Without your voice, the great books of the western world would have included the "good," "fair," "mediocre," and politically correct books, regardless of whether they had something to say. Thank you for being around, offering your ideas, and keeping us honest during a century that really needed it! Happy Birthday! Jay S. Albanese
Dear Mr. Adler, Congratulations for another successful trip around the sun! Here's my wish that you make it at least a hundred times. Happy birthday and many, many, more. Sincerely, Darol Morgan
Dear Dr. Adler, Have a wonderful birthday. Special thanks for the many significant contributions to the Great Conversation you have made and I am sure will make. I will light a candle for your continued health on your birthday. Jeff Lee
Dear Dr. Adler, There is no way to give you adequate thanks, no way to give you adequate praise. To have relieved so many of us of our brute ignorance, as you have done, is, in my opinion, the greatest gift anyone could bestow on his fellowman. My gratitude to you runs deep! You deserve and have a special place in our minds and hearts. May you be healthy and happy throughout your 98th. year.
Helen Simmons
Dear Mortimer, You are my hero. I remember when I was a high schooler some 20 years ago, I would make a special trip to one of the local university libraries, the University of Illinois at Chicago (then called Circle), just to read your first autobiography. My contact with your Great Books goes back further, to when I was a schoolboy, and I would do my homework next to the Great Book volumes and I would curiously open several of the books and marvel at the deep thought. The fact that I didn't understand much of the writing as a 9-year-old only heightened my fascination with the mysteries of the Great Books. It's funny, but those books have traveled with me throughout my 38 years. To this day, you have been one of the biggest influence on my literary and intellectual growth. Happy Birthday Michael Martinez
Hi Max, Congratulations to Mr. Adler for his 97th birthday! Helio da Silva Araujo
Aha! December 28, Feast of the Holy Innocents! What a providential placement for Dr. Adler's entry into this world! The longer his life, the closer he is to the end of his pilgrimage here and his home in Heaven! Let us ask him at this special time to remember us who follow. . . God bless Dr. Adler . . . Sara Lockwood (Mrs. Ed)
Dear Dr. Adler, We've never made acquaintance, but I wanted to wish you the happiest of all birthdays! Of course we all want to say something profound so that you will be impressed by our mighty intellects. And here I go prefacing some simple remarks with my seeming humility. But with all sincerity, I really want to thank you for your life's work, and therefore, for your life. Perhaps simply stated, you have brought higher level thinking to the masses. Your clear, precise and logical thinking, with your penetrating honesty, has enabled others to follow in your steps, perhaps in small ways, but significant ones nonetheless. Speaking personally, since I do not consider myself to be well-educated despite some academic credentials, you have imparted a certain intellectual courage to scale any height, brave any argument, ... read any book. I thank Max (with whom I spoke many months ago; I hope he still remembers the guy in Baltimore who was very excited to have discovered the Center) for the opportunity to express my sentiments (I didn't intend for them to be so long), and I hope to meet you sometime soon. I mean it when I say, "Thank God for you, Dr. Adler!" He has used you in a great way, and continues to do so! Mickey Constam
Dear Dr. Adler! For your Birthday, with Love!
Arctic Nights, Beautiful Sights,
All these things and much more,
John Lisowski
Dear Dr. Adler, Though I have known you through your writings for many years, added to that I had the good fortune of meeting you just last month. Your intellectual integrity and moral rectitude are shining examples to all of us who share this time of our lives with you. You are one God surely had in mind when He inspired these words: "A good life hath its number of days, but a good name shall live on forever". Thank you for nearly a century spent in the pursuit of Wisdom and for sharing the fruits of that pursuit with us. God bless, Patrick S. J. Carmack
Dear Dr.Adler and Dr. Max, I wish you both: Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year 2000 May the new millennium brings us more peace, harmony and happiness. Warm Greetings And a Happy Birthday to you Dr. Mortimer Adler, and may you enjoy many more years of Health and Happiness in the next Millennium.
Charles L. Albert
It is a season's of holy joy when we pause to reflect on the life of man and especially, and hopefully, our benevolent fellowship with the divine. So thank you all for your expressed best wishes. Karl Krudop
Dear Dr. Adler, May you have a meaningful 97th birthday. Thank you for making me a better reader and better thinker. I think of you as a happy man in the Aristotelian sense. Sincerely, Tony Gasbarro
Thanks, Max. Both you and Dr. Adler are regulars around here: Dr. Adler is a regular guest in our household, just like you are a regular and welcome guest, through my computer, in my office. With the full supply of Great Idea videos, and the Aspen tape, I am forever popping one or another in during any 15 minutes of spare time at home. The one on Opinion has been most helpful, (there are many runners up for the Gold) and that is a FACT! In this manner, I have even convinced my non-intellectually inclined wife to watch the Aspen tape. (She has the degree in the family, not me, but is 'bug-smart", whereas if I have any pretense to intelligence, it has been from reading, largely at Dr. Adler's urging (How to Read a Book) - Something I did 18 years ago and never looked back. With a few goads here and there, MJA's reading list eventually took me from being an agnostic to being a middle of the road Christian - for which I am eternally grateful. The gift of life from God is sweet indeed, but it is sweeter, probably to God and us alike, when it is shared from human to human. That's the way He wanted it.
Mike Murphy
Have a joyous Christmas, a birthday celebration. Thanks for the Center's help in our seeking to understand truth, and to love good. Terrence O'Neill
Dear Dr. Adler, Happy Birthday! I have been a "fan" of yours for about 30 years now having been introduced to your writngs in college by Gill Ring. Kept reading through the years. I've almost never failed to mention you to my students in 20 years of university teaching. This past fall I began homeschooling my son who is in his junior year of high school. The first book we read was "How to Read a Book." He was fascinated and has taken to heart many of the principles. This basic work of yours (in its revised version, of course) has incredibly deepened his love of learning. Thank you for all your work. God bless you. Tim Fout (and Justin Fout)
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Revised 30 December 1999 |