Since a bunch of CUA-ers seem to read The Corner, I tell ya, I did have some cool profs while there. I focused on politics and philosophy and wound up with a bunch of guys who are still there, I’m happy to say. I took a whole slew of classes with David Walsh, a delightfully brilliant Irishman. And I had a few with the eccentric Dennis Coyle, con-law man. Also took Claes Ryn, Philip Henderson, John A. Kromkowski & James O’Leary–and of course, the aforementioned Schneck–all who were terrific. Henderson amazingly made “Executive-Branch Policymaking” exciting at something like 8 p.m. Didn’t think that was possible outside of actually executive-branch policymaking, in the executive branch. My philosophy classes I would pay money to take again, right now, if I weren’t still paying for the first round! The head of the department, Fr. Kurtz Pritzl, a dear man, has a love for teaching and for philosophy that might be unparallel, in a field where love for learning is pretty competitive. My love for Kevin White’s class, went beyond my interest in Aquinas, and had something to do with the messenger in that case, friends would tease. So be it. I had good taste in college, sue me. (I’m counting on White not being a Corner reader, or color this post red.) Fr. Brian Shanley was the only person I ever wanted to hear about the moderns from. Mercifully, he was there–no closet Nietzsche fans in that department! I also was lucky enough to have Russell Hittinger’s last class at CUA, I’ll always be grateful he fit me in. (I am doing nobody justice here, but about two people will enjoy this post anyway.) There are a bunch of other great professors (including John McCarthy, Msgr. Sokolowski, and Jude Dougherty at CUA.philosophy; on that second run through, when I finish paying for the first, I will hit their classes), who I knew more through friends talking about their classes than from firsthand experience, and a few, like David Gallagher who have since left. (And, to hint that I am getting old, one of my fellow undergrads is now a professor there—Angela McKay.)
I’m done for now. Enough memory lane. I suppose if I had gone to homecoming this weekend, I would have spared you the scrapbook walk-through here. I’m going back to work now…