... there is more in life than making money.
Jacques Bourgeacq
Jacques Bourgeacq is as much at home appraising a fine wine as he is reviewing the latest French literature or conversing in three languages.
The author of several books, a longtime professor at the University of Iowa and truly a citizen of the world, Bourgeacq took great pride not just in his scholarly achievements but also in his teaching. He always was available to his students and encouraged a process of lifelong learning.
"That's why I was in the profession," he said.
Lively and engaged, Bourgeacq sees some peculiar priorities among the young in this country.
"The mentality of the young today is that if you can make millions and millions and millions, all the power to you," he said. "It is a sentiment that I resent with a passion. That excuses everything. There is something indecent when you see CEOs making millions and millions of dollars every year while there are people having a hard time making ends meet and sending their kids to get a good education. This is obscene.
"My advice to young people is be compassionate. Don't think that anything you can get is acceptable morally or ethically. There is more in life than making money. You have to look at yourself in the mirror."
He decries the arrogant impatience among the young, particularly those who are driven by the need to accumulate money or material things.
Bourgeacq earned a Fulbright research scholarship to study in the former French colony of Madagascar, and he and his wife, Victoria, lived there for three months while he researched long-ignored literature of the east African island.
His education and his travels have helped form his world view. But he came to it in a roundabout fashion.
Bourgeacq was a drop-out from the French secondary schools. After enlisting and serving in the French Air Force, he earned his GED in the United States and earned three degrees here, including a Ph.D at UI, where he stayed on to teach.
He has one final word of advice based on his circuitous route to the status of emeritus professor.
"The lesson I learned for that is never give up," he said. "Even if you don't do well in high school, you may be a little more serious later on. Start again. Start from scratch. You don't have anything to lose. It's not because you were dumb earlier. You might need more maturity."
— Susan Harman
