The team is currently working to build out two annual events—dates and details will be shared here when available.
McKeon Lecture on the Future of the Liberal Arts
Each year, the McKeon Center will host a distinguished event that brings a global thought leader to campus to deliver a major public lecture on the future of the liberal arts. This flagship occasion serves as a forum to address the evolving role of the liberal arts in contemporary society, highlighting pressing challenges and emerging opportunities faced by the social sciences and humanities within higher education. The lecture is designed to spark vibrant discussion among faculty, students, and members of the wider community, encouraging critical reflection on the enduring value and innovative potential of these fields in a rapidly changing world.
Annual Conference
The McKeon Center will convene an annual conference that brings together leading scholars to engage with pivotal questions surrounding both Richard McKeon’s enduring legacy and the future of liberal arts education. This event will focus on two central themes: first, a critical assessment of McKeon’s achievements during his long tenure at the University of Chicago; and second, the exploration of innovative teaching initiatives capable of carrying forward the spirit of McKeon’s ideas within the College and the broader University community.