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The Missouri Humanities Council, University of Missouri- St. Louis and Washington University Host a Panel Discussion on Civility

March 1, 2011

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ST. LOUIS, MO – The Missouri Humanities Council, the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Washington University will host “Finding Our Way Together: A conversation regarding civility, honesty, leadership and the common good” 10:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 11, 2011. Special guest Jim Leach, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, will join the discussion, and Gerald Early, Ph.D., director of the Center for the Humanities at Washington University, will be the moderator.

The panel discussion, at the JC Penney Conference Center Auditorium, University of Missouri-St. Louis, will address the vital need for civility in the social and political discourse that shapes how the nation moves forward. Since he took on the role of National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman in 2009, Leach, a former Republican congressman from Iowa, has been conducting a “civility tour” across the nation. As Leach has explained in his speeches, “The national interest is not served by a citizenry in which individuals have an increasingly difficult time respecting those with whom they differ.”

“The need for civility is a topic that is increasingly on people’s minds in light of recent events, and the ‘Finding Our Way Together’ panel will be an opportunity to delve into what civility means in a contemporary context,” said Geoff Giglierano, executive director of the Missouri Humanities Council. “The Missouri Humanities Council is honored to welcome Chairman Leach to Missouri and discuss these issues with our colleagues in the humanities.”

Panelists include:
• Jim Leach, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities
• Wayne Fields, Ph.D., Lynne Cooper Harvey Distinguished Professor of English, American Literature and American Culture Studies Professor, Department of English, Washington University
• Amy Shaw, Senior Vice President of Community Engagement, KETC
• David Robertson, Ph.D., Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science, University of Missouri-St. Louis

About the Missouri Humanities Council
The Missouri Humanities Council is a 510 (c) (3) non-profit organization that was created in 1971 under authorizing legislation from the U.S. Congress to serve as one of the 56 state and territorial humanities councils that are affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities.

MHC is committed to helping build a thoughtful, informed and engaged society through programs associated with encouraging family reading, supporting local museums, libraries and other organizations promoting humanities education, facilitating the sharing of our stories and generating public conversation on topics including history, religion, archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, literature, law and languages. We help Missourians experience the connection between ideas and participatory democracy, and to expand understanding of ourselves and the world beyond our boundaries. More information about the many projects of MHC can be found on the Council website at www.mohumanities.org or by calling 1-800-357-0909.

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