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The Western Canon Mailing List
Moderator: Paul John Barnette Jr.
Activation Date: March 8, 1997
Current Date:  April 21, 1997
Current Membership: 37
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               Herewith a few facts:

               I am 77 years old, married, with three living children
and two grand-children..  I am retired from the Federal Government
(Foreign Service of the USA, with service in Germany, India, Great
Britain, Norway, Malaysia, and Vietnam, with four boring years at the
Department of State in Washington, DC.  The time in Washington
included both JFK's inauguration, and his assasination.

                I have been a Great Booker for almost 60 years,
beginning my allegiancve when I read an article by Robert Maynard
Hutchins in the Atlantic Monthly in 1938.

                I am a 1960 graduate of the University of Chicago
(M.A., Economics).

                I have been participating in the Great Books program
at the Richmond Public Library, Richmond, VA. in 1975 after moving
from the DC suburbs in VA, first as a  participant and then for the
last six years as a co-leader.

                Your selection of Veblen is a good one; were you aware
that he had been a professor at the University of Chicago. and then
left after a bitter quarrel with the then chancellor?  Thorstein
Veblen sounds Scandinavian: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish?

                If you would like more info, feel free to ask.  If
Bret Williams, the attorney from VA who sent you a comment on Veblen
sees this, please send me an E-mail at:  APO884@aol.com.

                                                 Ken         
                                                 Martindale


Response:

First of all I would like to say that I am very glad to have
you aboard. Your vita above leeds me to expect that your
contributions to the mailing list will be of great interest. I am 34
years old and I got the Greats Books bug when I discovered the Great
Books of the Western World set back in high school. Since then I have
built a mostly paperback great books personal library, so I definitely
share your excitement with the great books.

Yes I was aware that Veblen taught at the University of Chicago 
and I was also aware that he left his position, but I do not know the
exact reasons why. It would be interesting to know what his falling
out with the chancellor was actually about. I am also not aware of
Veblen's ethnic heritage, although I know he was born in America.

Mr Williams will definitely receive a copy of this message as will all
members of the list, including yourself. Unless a posting has the word
PERSONAL in the subjec header, I will send it out to the entire
mailing list. Every will receive their own postings back again as it
goes out to everyone else.

Again, I am very happy that you have decided to join the Western
Canon mailing list and I look forward to your future participation in
the group.

Paul John Barnette Jr.


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