Friday, January 11, 2008
Thomas Sugrue
I was thrilled to see the enthusiasm and the level of engagement of the standing room only crowd – even the balcony was filled (“the crow’s nest,” as those who attended the event would undertand) – for the Izumi Family Scholar in Residence speaker Thomas Sugrue yesterday afternoon. I am always pleased to welcome speakers to campus, because I believe that beyond the research and the teaching, what makes a public institution such as our Law School so important to the community is our ability to be a public venue. There are so few opportunities now to engage in civic life. Universities serve their purpose when they lead the effort to offer serious discourse about our society.
Dr. Sugrue, the critically acclaimed author of The Origins of the Urban Crisis, the single most important book about the city of Detroit, is an especially appropriate scholar for us to invite. The type of work he does is what our Law School is known for. It is rigorous, meeting every academic standard, as the copious endnotes demonstrate. It also is passionate in its commitment to practical progress. Thank you to everyone who participated in two days of intellectual activity that give us hope for the value of education.
