The inaugural lecture in the David W. Carrithers Lecture Series in Law, Politics, and Public Policy will take place on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7:30 pm in Derthick Hall on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Steven Benjamin Smith will present "Democracy and Ambition: Abraham Lincoln on the Problem of 'Towering Genius.'"
Following graduation with honors from UTC in 1972, Dr. Smith went on to the University of Durham in England and the University of Chicago for graduate study in political science.
He is now the Benjamin Cowles professor of political science at Yale University.
Dr. Carrithers began his career at UTC in 1970 following study at Williams College and New York University. As a member of the political science department, he specialized in the history of political philosophy and in constitutional law and civil liberties while serving as department head and Adolph S. Ochs professor of government. A revered teacher, he was the first recipient of the UTC Student Government Association’s Outstanding Professor award and was also awarded the U.T. Alumni Association Teaching Award.