French and comparative literature professor Lawrence Kritzman will be inducted into the Legion of Honor — France's highest civilian honor — in a ceremony led by French Ambassador to the United States Francois Delattre this spring, according to Kritzman. He will receive the award, the latest in a string of honors that he has received from the French government, for internationally recognized contributions to French culture.
The honor, bestowed on individuals following an intensive nominating process that involves multiple rounds of review by French selection committees, is rarely awarded to non-French nationals, he said.
Kritzman has worked as editor of the European Perspectives series for the Columbia University Press and as director of the Institute of French Cultural Studies, which he founded in 1993.
"The idea of the institute was to enable people at the beginning of their teaching careers to think about how to develop an interdisciplinary curriculum within a French program," Kritzman said.
The institute focuses on incorporating French into classes without heavily depending on English translation, according to Kritzman.
"I feel very strongly that once any language department lets go of the language component, you might as well close shop," Kritzman said. "Culture starts with language, as Claude Levi-Strauss said."
Many French and American publications have consulted Kritzman for his input on French cultural and intellectual matters, he said. He has been interviewed by Le Monde, Le Figaro and Liberacion, France's three major newspapers. During the last French presidential election, Le Monde profiled Kritzman and six other leading intellectuals about their views on French politics, according to Kritzman.
Kritzman became an active student of French culture at the age of 18 and was drawn to the figures of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, his "intellectual heroes," he said.
Although he "adores" working with his students, Kritzman said he considers himself more of an intellectual than an academic.
"When I became a professor, I wanted to become a professor of desire," Kritzman said. "I never did this for professionalism — it was because of my passion for things French. It's good to now be loved back."
Faculty and students interviewed by The Dartmouth said Kritzman focuses on creating close bonds with students in his classes and sharing his love for French culture.
Alex Resar '14, who has taken two of Kritzman's classes, said Kritzman devotes individual time to his students and commits to having coffee with them at least once a term.
French major Anne Rosenblum '12 described Kritzman as a "wonderful person" and recounted that he took the 18 members of her French class to a collective meal and discussed their experiences beyond the classroom.
"He deserves equally prestigious awards for the amazing work he does with students in and out of the classroom," Craig Smyser '13 said. "He is among the best Dartmouth has to offer."
The close connections Kritzman has developed with his students encourage them to consider comparative literature graduate programs upon graduation, according to French professor and chair of the comparative literature department Roxana Verona.
"He has a way of connecting literature and languages," Verona said. "He has a large following of students who go on to graduate schools, which is good for our program."
Chair of the French and Italian department Graziella Parati said Kritzman's induction into the Legion of Honor demonstrates his love for French culture.
Kritzman has developed working relationships with Julia Kristeva and Jacques Derrida, two prominent contemporary French intellectuals, and has dined with former French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, according to comparative literature professor David LaGuardia. He also remains in contact with Dartmouth alumni, LaGuardia said.
Kritzman was first recognized by the French government in 1990 when he was appointed a knight in l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques, an order that recognizes educators and scholars, according to Kritzman. He was made an officer, the order's highest rank, in 1994. Kritzman also earned France's second highest individual honor, the Order of National Merit, in 2000.
"I jokingly said to my wife that with my medals they can bury me like they buried Lenin in the Kremlin," Kritzman said.
