1902-
Educator, Philosopher, and Author

Great Books Pioneer.

Mortimer Adler became well known during the 1940s when he, Robert M. Hutchins, and others challenged the academic world by attempting to establish a Great Books curriculum for undergraduates beginning in 1946. Taking up writer and educator John Erskine's proposal of 52 books-reading one per week—and expanding it initially to 176 books before revising it to 76, Adler felt that the reading and understanding of these classics would provide all of the background an undergraduate would require. He convinced Hutchins, president of the University of Chicago, to implement his plan. While its success was limited on the larger scale, it did receive some acceptance at extension campuses, where the Great Books idea became something of a fad; courses, seminars, and lectures became popular among aspiring weekend scholars.

Early Scholarly Success.

Adler was a brilliant student whose scholarship was second only to...