There was nothing unusual about the 127 young men, except one thing. Their entire college education had consisted of studying the 100 Great Books. They were the alumni of tiny (present enrollment: 231) St. John's College in Annapolis, Md., where twelve years ago a former University of Chicago professor had started a small academic revolution.
As president of St. John's, stocky Stringfellow Barr had abolished electives, survey courses, standard texts, and books about books about books. By the time he left in 1947 (he tried and failed to start another St. John's in...
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