The next event in the year-long celebration of the 175th Anniversary of Denison University's founding will be "The Anniversary Convocation," which brings David Brooks, author and syndicated New York Times op-ed columnist, to campus. The convocation is set for 8 p.m. on Thursday (Jan. 25) in Swasey Chapel and is free and open to the public. Brooks will deliver a timely address titled, "Investing in Human Futures: The State (and Stakes) of Higher Education." Earlier anniversary events on campus were a display in Burke Hall during the Candlelight Walking Tour (Dec. 2), followed by a historical birthday party with vignettes of prominent characters from Denison's early history on Dec. 13, the date classes were first held at the new Granville college in 1831.

New York Times Columnist David Brooks

Brooks, a keen observer of the American way of life, also is a savvy analyst of present-day politics and foreign affairs. Along with being a widely read syndicated columnist for The New York Times, Brooks also is a regular analyst on the "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" and on NPR's "All Things Considered."

He has authored two books -- "Bobos in Paradise," a Times bestseller, and "On Paradise Drive." Brooks defines "bobos" as members of the upper class who have wed the bourgeois world of capitalist enterprise to the values of the bohemian counterculture. Brooks describes these books as "comic sociology." Critics describe them as being as witty and entertaining as they are revealing and insightful.

Prior to joining The New York Times, Brooks worked for The Weekly Standard, having joined the magazine at its inception and serving as its senior editor. He was a contributing editor at Newsweek and the Atlantic Monthly, worked at The Wall Street Journal for nine years, and has written for The New Yorker magazine, Forbes, and The Washington Post.

The coming year will see more events at Denison celebrating the college's "septaquintaquinquecentennial," including on Wednesday, Jan. 31, a gala dinner in the dining halls for students as well as "Denison Everywhere" gatherings of alumni in 30 cities across the country. During Senior Week, members of the class of 2006 created a time capsule to be opened at their 25th reunion in the year of the college's bicentennial.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- The Anniversary Convocation featuring commentator, author and op-ed columnist David Brooks; 8 p.m., Thursday (Jan. 25), Swasey Chapel. Free and open to the public. Contact 740-587-6281 to confirm information.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575