Eva Brann was a supremely thoughtful defender and practitioner of liberal learning. She not only served as a tutor at St. John's College, Annapolis for over six decades, during which time she shaped the institution, but she also reflected, repeatedly, on her own activities as an inquirer. Her essay, "The American College as the Place for Liberal Learning," is one such reflection. Questions raised by Brann include: What is the spirit of liberal learning, and what is its proper end? How can colleges resist illiberal demands for utility, relevance, specialization, or professionalization? Why does liberal learning happen in certain places—the seminar room and the small college? Altogether, how should lovers of liberal learning think and speak about what they do? 

Daniel Schillinger is a Lecturer in Political Science at Yale University.