Haywood publishes book

By Sarah Kisner
Courier Staff

Former Monmouth College President Bruce Haywood released his second published book from XOXOX Press titled, “The Essential College” on Thursday, Feb. 9.

Haywood has been a part of the liberal arts education for half a century and said he hopes his book can reach out to liberal arts schools and revive the liberal education, which is fading.

The idea to write a second book first came about while Haywood was talking to an old friend about liberal education. It took Haywood eight months to finish his book.

“The book is my effort to describe why the liberal education has declined in the last 50 years and what might be done to resurrect it,” he explained.

Prior to serving as president of Monmouth College, Haywood was the dean of Kenyon College in Gamier, Ohio, for 27 years.

When Haywood was considered for presidency of Monmouth College, members of the Board of Trustees had concerns about the absence of traditional liberal arts education. The Board hoped that Haywood would solve this problem.

He served as president from 1980-94.

“Monmouth College has come a long way,” stated Haywood. While at Monmouth, he helped to adopt a new curriculum and developed the mandatory introduction to liberal arts class for students which has an emphasis on the importance of liberal arts education.

Haywood originated the Monmouth Plan in 1993. “It was developed to offer assistance to families who needed more financial help to attend Monmouth College,” stated Jeff Rankin, director of Monmouth College Communications.

This became such a success that more private colleges copied this idea so that students would be able to have a better education at a more affordable price.

Writing is one of Haywood’s favorite hobbies. His first book, “Passion,” was published in 1959. It was about the 18th-century German poet Friedrich von Hardenberg.

He has also written a third book that talks about Germany after World War II.

Another one of his accomplishments, he hopes to have it published later this year.

“The Essential College” is now available at college bookstores, including MC’s own. It may also be purchased Online at http://xoxxoxpress.com or at other bookselling sites Online.

Haywood hopes all readers do not see this book as a continual loss of the liberal arts education, but as a way to restore something that is leaving and can easily be revived and made stronger.