Contact: Kay Fike Jones
A foreign languages professor who is Mississippi State University's Outstanding Humanist for 1998 will tackle philosophical questions about the humanities in an Oct. 21 bilingual public address.
Ann E. Wiltrout's speech--titled "Inclusive, Not Exclusive"--will be delivered in English and Spanish as part of a 3 p.m. ceremony in 12 Allen Hall honoring her selection. A reception follows at the same location.
The Outstanding Humanist Award program is co-sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council and MSU's College of Arts and Sciences.
Among questions Wiltrout will seek to answer: "Are the humanities for everyone or just a few intellectuals?" and "Can and should everyone enjoy philosophy, language, history, and theater?"
She is author of "A Patron and a Playwright in Renaissance Spain: The House of Feria and Diego Sanchez de Badajoz," as well as several articles and book chapters on Spanish Golden Age topics. She also directed a play, "La Cueva de Salamanca/The Cave of Salamanca," in both Spanish and English.
A doctoral graduate of Indiana University and an MSU faculty member since 1969, she previously received a Fellowship in Residence for College Teachers from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a Certificate of Distinguished Service from the Institute of International Education, among other honors.
She serves as a reader for the Spanish-language portion of MSU's Advanced Placement Exam for entering students. Her honor society memberships include Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Delta Pi, Phi Sigma Iota, and Alpha Gamma Delta.
Wiltrout also holds a bachelor's degree from Hanover College and is included among the Indiana school's distinguished alumni.