Edwin Meese III
President of The Philadelphia Society

Introduction of Bruce Cole
Chairman, National Endowment for the Humanities

Cleveland Regional Meeting
The Philadelphia Society
September 20, 2002 

Regional Meetings of The Philadelphia Society always try to draw on the region where we meet.  Our keynoter tonight, Bruce Cole, currently Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, exemplifies the artistic side of the city of Cleveland, the Cleveland Museum of Art which some of you will visit on Sunday.  On Saturday, we shall explore the musical legacy of American Culture that has such rich roots in classical music with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and popular music with its new Museum of Rock and Roll.  

In the case of Bruce Cole we have an even tighter connection to the region.  Bruce was born in Cleveland, studied at Western Reserve University, and at Oberlin College, not far from here.  Now some might worry that Oberlin is a radical college, but it is so radical that telling a student to “conform” to anything at Oberlin is like telling a chameleon to “conform” to a tartan plaid.  

Bruce proceeded to receive his Ph.D. in art history from Bryn Mawr College and from there to write brilliant books on all aspects of art history—free from jargon, obtuse theory, and cant about race and gender.  He confesses that many of the works of art he writes about are “old friends whom I have long loved and admired.”  (The Informed Eye, p. 3)  Old friends are not something that one sets about to deconstruct.  

I suspect that there are many here tonight whom Bruce would consider an old friend and many younger persons who have long loved and admired the great work that he has produced during his long tenure as a Professor at Indiana University.  

In fact, his approach is consistent with the themes of sound jurisprudence that have been at the heart of my concerns for many years.  In discussing Piero Della Francesca’s art he said he wanted to know where it “originated” and wished to “investigate the structure of its linked form and content,” to “describe what its influence was, and to ponder its meaning.” And to what purpose is all this investigation?  The ability to be “innovative within the framework of tradition” which is foreign to “twentieth-century concepts of art.” It is precisely this mix of tradition and innovation that Russell Kirk understood to be the hallmark of conservatism properly understood and that continue to spark the meetings of the Philadelphia Society to this day. 

Bruce generalizes that “Renaissance artists were deeply conservative, and their art was strongly dependent on the past.  They also considered the end purpose for which the religious and secular works they painted were to be used.  Such conservatism did not, however, stop Renaissance artists from being highly original.” (p. 26)  The end purpose was the greater glory of God and not some hidden agenda of hegemony by gender or race.  

In his excellent book accompanying the Art of the Western World television series, Bruce makes a similar point about the paradox that the great Renaissance painter, Raphael, showed both great respect for the past and was, at the same time, highly inventive. (p. 148) “Although it may seem paradoxical, no Renaissance artist demonstrates more respect for the past work nor was more inventive than Raphael.” He calls this “creative borrowing.”  

Things aren’t much different in the area of twentieth-century jurisprudence.  Would that our judges and jurisprudential thinkers had such respect for the Constitution.  I present to you, Bruce Cole.

Thanks for those who helped organize the meeting.

These meetings don't take place by magic.  I would especially like to thank our Secretary, Bill Campbell, and Julie Flick for making all this possible. 

In organizing this meeting Bill Campbell and I drew on many persons for speakers, scholarships and guests.  Particular thanks go to Ken Cribb at ISI and  Mark Henrie and Paul Rhein on the ISI staff who went out of their way to provide names for scholarships and assessments of speakers  

At the Liberty Fund George Martin was helpful as usual.  Special thanks go to Steve Ealy who is responsible for several of our speakers and many of our scholarship guests.  

Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, was very generous in supporting this meeting.  Special thanks must go to Professors Mark Kalthoff and David Whalen at Hillsdale College who organized, identified, and transported the outstanding group of Hillsdale students.  

Peter Schramm at the Ashbrook Center supplied many names and David Forte was our man on the ground in Cleveland who first alerted us to the Cleveland Symphony’s production of Haydn’s The Seasons on Saturday night.