Racing Odysseus: A College President Becomes a Freshman Again

276 Pages·2008·0.79 MB·English

by  Roger H. Martin

Racing Odysseus
The publisher gratefully acknowledges
the generous contribution to this book provided
by the Humanities Endowment Fund of the
University of California Press Foundation.
Racing Odysseus
A College President Becomes
a Freshman Again
Roger H. Martin
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
Berkeley Los Angeles London
University of California Press, one of the most distinguished
university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the
world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences,
and natural sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press
Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals
and institutions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu.
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles, California
University of California Press, Ltd.
London, England
© 2008 by Roger H. Martin
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Martin, Roger H., 1943–.
Racing Odysseus : a college president becomes a freshman
again / Roger H. Martin.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn978–0-520–25541–8 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. Martin, Roger H., 1943– 2. College presidents—United
States—Biography. 3. Adult college students—United States—
Biography. 4. Cancer patients—United States—Biography.
5. St. John’s College (Annapolis, Md.) I. Title.
la2317.m278a3 2008
378.1'11—dc22 2007051017
[B]
Manufactured in the United States of America
17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on Cascades Enviro 100, a 100% post
consumer waste, recycled, de-inked fiber. FSC recycled certified
and processed chlorine free. It is acid free, Ecologo certified, and
manufactured by BioGas energy.
For Susan,
my constant companion and friend
on this journey called life

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Prologue 1
1. Orientation (Four Years Later) 4
2. Hubris 32
3. Homesickness 58
4. Dysfunctional Families 92
5. Navy 130
6. Old Farts 169
7. Community 194
8. Victory 230
Epilogue 252
Bibliography 261

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is not only a personal memoir but also the story of an
exceptional group of young men and women, members of the
so-called Millennial Generation, who became my friends and
college classmates for one semester at St. John’s College in An-
napolis, Maryland. These students give me great hope for the
future leadership of our country and, indeed, of the world.
With their permission, I have used real first names and like-
nesses, the exceptions being students who spoke to me in confi-
dence. In these cases I have altered their identities and used
fictitious names.
In writing this memoir, I have violated an important St.
John’s convention that requires brief comment. Students and
faculty at this unusual liberal arts college almost always address
each other formally, using Mr. or Ms., for example, followed by
a last name. First names and titles such as Professor or Dean are
never used in the classroom. However, first names are some-
times used in other contexts, especially when students know
ix