THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997 TAG: 9702090097
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SAMANTHA LEVINE, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: 54 lines
Calling history a source of strength and a lesson in proportion, historian David McCullough offered keynote comments at William and Mary's Charter Day ceremonies Saturday.
McCullough, a Pulitzer Prize-winning master of American biography and history, is best known for his book ``Truman'' and as host of PBS' ``The American Experience.'' He also narrated Ken Burns' series ``The Civil War.''
McCullough was awarded an honorary doctor of human letters degree at the annual celebration to commemorate the 1693 royal charter founding William and Mary.
McCullough said the present day is weighed down and people are misled by assertions that everything now is the best or worst it has ever been. The melodrama and hubris of modern times, he said, is creating a country that simply does not realize its history.
``Every event in all time has its antecedents and its consequences,'' he said. ``Any other concept of reality is a child's way of looking at life. . . difficulties we face, what troubles we experience - others before us have had it much worse.''
History is without easy labels and mottos, and today's events will have uncertain rippling effects through time, McCullough said. But some measure of stability can also be found in the past, he said, and the 304-year-old William and Mary ``has to play a very important role in this country, whether it likes it or not.''
After McCullough's speech, college President Timothy J. Sullivan said that education has become a ``sprawling bazaar.'' But William and Mary, he said, ``has something important to offer a nation in need of remembering first principles.''
Those guiding standards most frequently invoked at the ceremony belonged to Thomas Jefferson, an alumnus of the college whose name appeared on two other awards given Saturday.
English Professor John Willis, who came to the college in 1959, received the 1997 Thomas Jefferson award for maintaining qualities Jefferson thought essential, including intellectual rigor, social commitment and ethical leadership.
Anthropology Professor Barbara King received the Thomas Jefferson Teaching award for her commitment to education and ability to engage students directly with their work.
State Del. Alan Diamonstein also received an award. The Newport News Democrat was given an honorary doctor of laws in thanks for his support of education in Virginia. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by IAN MARTIN/The Virginian-Pilot
Pulitzer-Prize winning historian David McCullough gave the keynote
address at William and Mary's Charter Day ceremony Saturday.
McCullough was awarded an honorary doctor of human letters degree.