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Award-winning teacher links Methodism, MLK, BU: At the September 10
new faculty orientation, Chancellor John Silber presented David Hempton,
an STH professor of church history, with the
2004 University Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award, sponsored by the Methodist
Church. In his remarks, Hempton talked about John Wesley, the founder
of Methodism. BU traces its origins to the first U.S. Methodist seminary,
established in 1839. “Great universities, I believe, carry trace
elements of the DNA of their founding traditions and this one is no exception,” said
Hempton. “Wesley was one of the first leaders of a great religious
movement to allow women to lead and to preach. He was the first religious
leader of real significance to speak out against the barbaric evils of
human slavery . . . He was a passionate believer in education, self-improvement,
and hard work. . . . Boston University still stands for those values
of equal opportunity, no-nonsense discipline, and making the most of
one’s time and opportunities.” Hempton also mentioned Martin
Luther King, Jr. (GRS’55, Hon.’59) and his 1963 “I
Have a Dream” speech. “The next time you walk across Marsh
Plaza,” he said, “I want you to notice three things. Look
at the University’s coat of arms, which it has taken from its Methodist
foundation: Learning, Virtue, and Piety. Think about what those words
might mean
for you and your students: that knowledge and ethics should not be separated;
that learning and mentoring are both essential to what we do. Look also
at the memorial to Martin Luther King, and think about how learning,
virtue, and piety in his case were harnessed to fight mediocrity, oppression,
and injustice. Look also at Marsh Chapel and let your aspirations soar
as ambitiously as those great gothic arches, pointing to something greater
than our own self-interest.” Photo by Kalman Zabarsky
19
September 2003
Boston University
Office of University Relations