Tribute to the Late Alan McCullough Jr. '64

 

Alan (Mac) McCullough, Jr. '64 was an inspiring person who lived his life as a passionate quest for truth and knowledge.  An avid reader on many subjects, he had an encyclopedic memory.  He could call upon his vast storehouse of information to build a socio-cultural or political theory for discussion.  His theories were almost unfailingly controversial or unorthodox, though the freshness of viewpoint they embodied was always stimulating.  Possessing unquenchable intellectual and emotional energy, he would not allow any aspect of an issue to go unconsidered or unaccounted for.  He had no regard for political correctness and hence often shocked people with the questions he posed.  Yet the sincerity and good will behind his questions offset any negative impressions that might otherwise have been created.  In short, he embodied all the qualities in a liberally educated man that we hold dear: insatiable thirst for learning, a driving curiosity, a sincere and gracious open-mindedness, a humility about the quest for truth and infectious sense of humor that kept it all in balance.  The goal of the Alan McCullough, Jr. Distinguished Visiting Chair in Political Philosophy will be to provide as stimulating an intellectual experience as Mac McCullough did himself.