By Dr. Raymond Hebert
Special to NKyTribune
Part 11 of Our Series: “Retrospect and Vista II: Thomas More College/University. 1971-2021”
Early in 1977, the Thomas More community was looking ahead, despite having experienced some disagreements about curriculum and the role of faculty in institutional governance. A joyous occasion for celebration awaited. The patron of the college, St. Thomas More, would be celebrating a 500th birthday on February 7, 1978.
Dr. Ray Hebert, Thomas More College History Professor, 1970’s. (Courtesy of Thomas More University Archives)
A 500th Celebration Committee had been started in 1977 with two Honorary Chairmen, the Most Reverend Richard Ackerman, Bishop of Covington and the Honorable Julian Carroll, Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The working Chairs were Thomas More Board of Trustees members Raymond L. Buse and I. A. Archambault (Committee Minutes, August 17, 1977, TMU Archives).
The Commencement Address in May of that year had been delivered by Dr. Raymond Hebert, the college’s Tudor England historian and the “Outstanding Full-time Faculty Member of the Year for 1977.” The theme was St. Thomas More as a “Man for All Seasons.” Dr. Hebert was then one of 23 members on the 500th Anniversary Committee and was selected to be the Coordinator of the Quincentennial Academic Symposium to wrap up the celebration.
The Quincentennial Essays on St. Thomas More, a book that contains selected papers from the Thomas More Conference. (Courtesy of Thomas More University Archives )
The early discussions were spirited, with ideas bursting as word was coming in about other Quincentennial gatherings from around the country. Dr. Hebert represented Thomas More College at a February 1977 event at Illinois State University, coordinated by Professor John Gueguen. Subsequently, Gueguen assisted with ideas about our projected conference one year later in February 1978, where he was one of the speakers. Dr. Hebert also attended one of the largest such conferences in the country at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C., held June 22–25, 1978.
Among the ideas generated by the Celebration Committee were: a Villa Players’ production of the award-winning play, A Man for All Seasons; a Balloon Race; a Chelsea-Rome Tour for Alumni; a Commemorative Concert; a Symphony Ballet Night; a Medieval Festival called “the Lusty Month of May”; and an Academic Symposium.
There is even a letter in the archives from President DeGraff to Edward Glover of the British Embassy that asked for support for our “Medieval Festival.” He even requested a “visit to the campus by a member of the Royal Family to participate in the graduation ceremony on May 7; a visit by the British Ambassador to participate in the Banquet during that week; the availability of the Black Watch Band or some other musical group,” for our musical presentation that week and even asked “about the availability of a replica of the Crown Jewels for display purposes at the college” for this special occasion. Concluding that a Medieval Tournament would also be scheduled, he hoped for “any suggestions or ideas on the jousting events.” While some of this seems farfetched today, it appears that a prior conversation had been held by a Thomas More representative (Reginald Smith) with the Embassy and that there had been at least an impression that some of the above was possible. In the end with no British Embassy response in the file and budget difficulties during 1977-1978, the Medieval Festival was one of the ideas that was not on the final schedule (President Richard DeGraff Letter of July 15, 1977, to the British Embassy, TMU Archives).
Dr. J. H. Hexter (JStor.org)
As the birthday year moved along, the Villa Players production of A Man for All Seasons was the highlight of the fall. Next was the Sir Thomas More Commemorative Concert on Sunday, December 4, 1977, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, featuring Conductor Robert J. Schaffer’s own “Thomas More’s Last Prayer.”
The Thomas More Quincentennial Conference was held February 9-11, 1978 at Thomas More College. This academic conference featured Dr. J. H. Hexter of Yale University, the author of the highly praised More’s Utopia, as the keynote speaker. Some of the leading St. Thomas More scholars from around the world served as commentators, including Thomas More biographer Dr. Richard Marius, later of Harvard University; Dr. Clarence Miller of St. Louis University; Dr. Richard Schoeck from the University of Colorado at Boulder; and Dr. Arthur Slavin of the University of Louisville.
“Thomas More: A Man For Our Times,” by Dr. Hebert. (Courtesy of Thomas More University Archives)
The conference was considered such a success that Albion Press of Appalachian State University, where Dr. Michael J. Moore was the General Editor, published the proceedings the following year under the title: Quincentennial Essays on St. Thomas More (Selected papers from the Thomas More Conference). Thomas More College’s name had been placed successfully on the national map as an institution serious about the study of the intellectual and lasting aspects of their patron saint. Later in 1979, the international journal about St. Thomas More called Moreana, published an article by Dr. Raymond Hebert entitled: “A Thomas More College Birthday Party: February 9–11, 1978” (Moreana, Volume XVI, No. 61, March 1979, pp. 85-90).
The conference was a worthy culmination of more than a decade of achievements for Thomas More College. The college had a new campus, dedicated by US President Lyndon Baines Johnson. It had secured a number of impressive national grants and had embarked upon academic programs that would secure its place both regionally and nationally as dedicated to academic excellence.
Dr. Raymond G. Hebert is a Professor of History and Executive Director of the William T. Robinson III Institute for Religious Liberty at Thomas More University. He has just completed his 46th year at Thomas More and, with that background, will now serve as the General Editor of the official history of Thomas More College/University from 1971-2021. With a projected title of RETROSPECT AND VISTA II, it will serve as the sequel to Sr. Irmina Saelinger’s RETROSPECT AND VISTA, the history of the first 50 years of Thomas More College (formerly Villa Madonna College). He can be contacted at hebertr@thomasmore.edu.
We want to learn more about the history of your business, church, school, or organization in our region (Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and along the Ohio River). If you would like to share your rich history with others, please contact the editor of “Our Rich History,” Paul A. Tenkotte, at tenkottep@nku.edu. Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD is Professor of History at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) and the author of many books and articles.
Kentucky Post, Thomas More College Celebrating Thomas More’s 500th Birthday by receiving a 15-volume series on Thomas More from Yale University. (Courtesy of Thomas More University Archives)
