Lectureships
The Charles Martin and Elizabeth Stults Bond Lectureship on the meaning of religion was established in 1967 by colleagues, alumni, and friends. It is filled from time to time, upon the invitation of the department of religion, by a person who has made significant contributions in the general area of religious interpretation, thought, and action.
The Class of 1953 Lectureship was established by the class as a 25th Reunion gift to the University. Its purpose is to bring to the campus for a brief residency every other year one or more distinguished visitors representing a broad spectrum of interests and disciplines.
The Class of 1956 Lectureship was established in recognition of inspirational teaching. The lecture is to be given annually by a member of the faculty of Bucknell University. The committee that selects the recipient of this lectureship consists of the provost, deans, two faculty representatives, and two student representatives.
The Ralph B. Derr Memorial Lectureship was established with funds from the estate of Ralph B. Derr, Class of 1917, in his memory. The speaker for the annual lecture will be a person of note from the field of chemical engineering, selected by the chemical engineering faculty to speak on an area of particular current interest in the profession.
The James A. Gathings Lectureship in International Politics, established in 1971 by students, colleagues, and friends of Professor Gathings, annually presents a significant analyst in this field. The designated lecturer, to be selected by the Department of Political Science, shall possess a particular knowledge of international politics, together with a concern for the political education of all, regardless of academic training or specialty.
The O. V. W. Hawkins Lectureship was established by the Board of Trustees with funds provided by Mr. Hawkins, who was, himself, a trustee for many years. The lecture is to be in the field of public policy, but not limited to politics or government, and is to be given by a respected person of national prominence.
The Meerwarth Sociology and Anthropology Departmental Speaker Fund was established in 2006 by Tracy L. Meerwarth, Class of 1996, and her mother, Lurenna M. Meerwarth. The fund’s goal is to enliven and enrich students’ understanding of anthropology and sociology by bringing such external speakers’ presentations to departmental classes, seminars, and other events organized by the department. Topics can be academic and/or practitioner oriented, engaging students in current anthropological or sociological theory and/or practice.
The Putterman Lecture was established by Arnold L. Putterman, Class of 1960. The lecture is intended to address prominent current issues with a specific focus on politics, government, and/or the economy.
The Harry Wolcott Robbins Lectureship was established in 1957 in honor of Harry Wolcott Robbins, John P. Crozer Professor of English and chairman of the Department of English from 1923-54. Funded originally by the University and now endowed with a bequest from Mrs. Robbins, the lecture is given annually by a person who has made significant contributions to English and American literary scholarship.
The Roy Wood Sellars Lectureship commemorates the productive collaboration of Sellars, founder of the critical realist movement in American philosophy, and William Preston Warren, historian of the movement and editor of Sellars’ writings. Initiated by Sellars, the lectureship was augmented by students and colleagues of Warren, former professor of philosophy at Bucknell. A distinguished scholar in American philosophy lectures annually.
The Ralph Spielman Memorial Lectureship was established by the relatives, colleagues, students, and friends of Professor Spielman in memory of his service to the University from 1958 until his death in 1978. The lectureship emphasizes ’’Frontiers in Social Science’’ by bringing to the campus when possible, but at least every second year, a lecturer to describe promising attempts to interpret and open new fields in social science.
The Douglas Sturm Dialogue on Ethics and Social Justice was established in 1992 in honor of Dr. Sturm, who served Bucknell for more than 35 years as a teacher and scholar. The dialogue is intended to honor Dr. Sturm’s substantive concerns with ethics and social justice issues, and his commitment to the honest exchange of ideas on those matters.
The Virginia Travis Lectureship in Social Justice was endowed by her family and friends to commemorate her life and convictions. The lecturer ordinarily will be a member of the Bucknell or Lewisburg communities who has worked compassionately and diligently to promote justice and social change at the local, national, or international level. The annual lecture will articulate a vision of justice and a strategy of social change to achieve it.
The Charles H. Watts II Humanities Institute was established in 2006 by the CTW Foundation and its officers, to honor the memory of Charles H. Watts II, Bucknell’s 11th president from 1964-76 and trustee from 1997-2001. The fund honors President Watts’ love of the humanities, his dedication to learning, and his exceptional leadership at Bucknell. The fund will provide annual support for the interdisciplinary study of a selected topic of interest in the humanities at Bucknell.
The Janet Weis Fellowship in Contemporary Letters, an award established at Bucknell University through a generous grant from the Degenstein Foundation in honor of Janet Weis, is named annually to honor and recognize an individual who represents the very highest level of achievement in the craft of writing within the realms of fiction, nonfiction, or biography. Each recipient of this fellowship is an author whose work has been accessible to a wide audience and has resulted in a broadly based record of public recognition and appreciation.