Dale Benner Harris

I too was a member of Dale Harris "Modes of Consciousness" Liberal Arts Honors Program at Penn State. He opened my mind, brain and heart to new means of exploring the intersection of my internal world with cultural mythology. I'm grateful for the year I spent learning with his guidance.

April 24, 2008

Dear Geoffrey and Shirly

In 1951, right after the World War II, I met Dr. Harris as a foreign student in a room of the Patty-Hall of the University of Minnesota. He has just taken over the director of Institute for Child Welfare, University of Minnesota, from Dr. John E. Anderson. Dr. Harris’s office has always been full of students who wanted to be advised, and he was the busiest professor indeed.

As soon as he recognized me, he said, “I want to...

Dear Dale,

My first communication from you was an invitation to join a liberal arts inter-disciplinary seminar on "Modes of Consciousness." The letter came during a low period in my sophomore year when, having put aside my agriculture and forestry aspirations because I could not reconcile my respect for life with the pest management aspect of those fields, I considered leaving Penn State in search of a fuzzy destination, a meaningful pursuit. Your invitation, and the many...

Dad --
Our love goes with you. We have many fine memories of your reading aloud to the family all of your favorite children's stories. Your love of biographies, science fiction and fantasy has been shared with the family -- The Hobbit, Harry Potter, etc. We see you puttering around the house or cabin on your various projects, and organizing flotillas to an island for a family picnic. Your Reuben sandwiches were a hit! Your interests in reading, hiking, kayaking, history, computers, and...