This fall, a handful of visitors will stay in Hanover to interact with Dartmouth's student body through various programs and centers, including the Dickey Center for International Understanding and the Montgomery Fellows Program. This year's guests range from acclaimed German film director Werner Herzog to retired commander of U.S. Central Command General James Mattis.
The Montgomery Fellows Program, a decades-old campus institution, will host an unusually high but not unprecedented number of scholars, program director Christianne Wohlforth said. Fellows include Herzog, philosopher and award-winning novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and MAS*H television star Alan Alda.
Montgomery Fellows stay on campus for up to an entire term, lodging in a house near Occom Pond that serves as the locus of informal dinners and conversations between students and scholars. "The biggest value of Montgomery Fellows is the off-the-record conversations they have with students, where they discuss how they are whole people and are able to lead a wholly engaged live, even if they are known for a small set of activities," Wohlforth said.
Herzog will be on campus from Sept. 17 to 20. In addition to his film "Grizzly Man," (2005) Herzog recently directed a documentary cautioning against the dangers of text messaging while driving called "From One Second to the Next."
Goldstein, whose work combines science, understanding and imaginative storytelling, will be on campus from Sept. 25-Nov. 25. Her work includes the best-selling novel "The Mind-Body Problem" and, most recently, "36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction." Goldstein has been recognized for her scholarship and fiction and received Guggenheim and National Science Foundation fellowships and the MacArthur Genius Prize.
Alda, an actor, director and writer known most famously for his portrayal of Hawkeye Pierce in the television series MAS*H, will visit the College on Oct. 10 and 11. After hosting the PBS series "Scientific American Frontiers" from 1993-2005, Alda realized that many researchers could use help in communicating their stories and ideas. He created the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and has led workshops that use theatrical exercises to help scientists communicate personally and directly.
In addition to the Montgomery Fellows, a Roth Distinguished Visiting Scholar whose identity has not yet been released will stay on campus for the academic year. The Roth program, endowed by trustee Steve Roth '62 Tu '63 and his wife Daryl, began last year with international photojournalist James Nachtwey '70 as its inaugural scholar.
In addition to the Montgomery Fellows and Roth Distinguished Visiting Scholar, the College will host General James Mattis as this fall's Class of 1950 Senior Foreign Affairs Fellow through the Dickey Center. The general served as head of Central Command, overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and U.S. military presence in other regions. Nicknamed "Mad Dog Mattis" by his troops for his no-nonsense inspirational letters, Mattis famously wrote, "Fight with a happy heart and strong spirit," and, "Engage your brain before you engage your weapon."
Dickey Center Director Daniel Benjamin, who met Mattis when working on counterterrorism for the State Department, said Mattis' visit is a model of what the Dickey Center aims for when inviting future fellows.
"When I came to Dartmouth, Mattis was one of the first people I thought of to come visit," he said. "He is remarkably approachable and personable, and wants to meet undergrads."
Previous Class of 1950 Senior Foreign Affairs Fellows have included Nachtwey and global microfinance leader Maria Otero.
Herzog will speak Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. at a lecture titled "Werner Herzog: A Conversation."
The presentation includes a film montage and a conversation between Herzog and film and media studies chair and professor Jeffrey Ruoff. Herzog's film "Grizzly Man" will be shown Sept. 19 in Loew Auditorium.
Goldstein will deliver a lecture on Sept. 30 titled "Philosophy and Literature: The Ancient Quarrel." On Oct. 10 Alda will present on improving communication among scientists and the general public.
Mattis will be in residence at Dartmouth from Sept. 18 through Oct. 7.
He will deliver a public lecture and meet with the Dickey Center's War and Peace Fellows, Great Issues Scholars and other student groups.
