Mostly About Me: A Path Through Different Worlds - Softcover

Weingartner, Rudolph

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1410743896 ISBN 13: 9781410743893

Publisher: 1st Books Library, 2004

Synopsis

In Mostly About Me, Rudolph H. Weingartner gives a detailed and thoughtful account of a varied life that took him from pre-Hitler Heidelberg to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, via many intervening stops. He became an American during his adolescence in New York and while serving on an LST in the U.S. Navy. He then tells of his studies at Columbia and of the stumbling that finally led to an academic career in philosophy. It began with a job at Mortiner Adler's curious research institute in San Francisco and continued with a few years on the Columbia faculty. In 1959, he * west to teach for nine years at San Francisco State. In 1968, he fled from there to a somewhat calmer Vassar, after S.F.State was overtaken by turmoil. After Vassar, Weingartner made a shift to academic administration. Here is an extensive account of what was involved in being successful as dean at Northwestern, followed by the story of the author's frustrating stint as provost of the University of Pittsburgh. Weingartner's private life gets virtually equal attention in this book. He talks about his parents, his brother, and about his two children. He tells the story of a marriage of forty-two years and of its sad end; he relates how he recovered, thanks to a second marriage. In addition to family members, a large cast of characters of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances make their appearance in this book. Among broader topics, the author takes up his relationship to his Jewish religion and gives an account of the many manifestations of his interest in music and art. Mostly About Me offers glimpses into the different worlds in which its author has played a role. But it also affords an insight into the person who has lived so varied a life and has here reflected on it.

About this title

About the Author

Rudolph H. Weingartner was bornin 1927 in Heidelberg, Germany and emigrated to New York with his family in1939. After receiving his Ph.D. from Columbia University, he taught philosophy at Columbia, San Francisco State University (then College), and Vassar College, also chairing the departments of the latter two institutions. As academic administrator, he served as dean of arts and sciences at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and as provost of the University of Pittsburgh. Weingartner has written on many topics in philosophy, including a book on Georg Simmel and another on Plato. While he is the author of numerous articles on topics of general interest, his experience in academic administration prompted him to write three books on higher education issues. When not professionally engaged, Weingartner pursues his interests in music and art, not the least of which is his a vocation of sculpting in wood.

Edition details

• Publisher: 1st Books Library
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1410743896
• ISBN 13: 9781410743893
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 560