CANTON -- The 2014 Hays and Margaret Crimmel Colloquium on Liberal Education will host “What is College For,” beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, in Eben Holden at St. Lawrence University.

Guest speaker, Andrew Delbanco, is the author of award-winning book, “College: What It Was, Is and Should Be.” In his lecture, Delblanco will explore the history of America’s colleges.

Delbanco views America’s colleges as an important resource for sustaining democracy and believes that as country we must ask ourselves: What is college at its core? How can we safeguard and strengthen if for future generations? Under scrutiny, under stress, and underfunded, America's colleges must remain if the United States is to continue being a fair nation.

Delbanco is the Mendelson Family Chair of American Studies and the Julian Clarence Levi Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University. He was awarded the 2011 National Humanities Medal by President Obama for his literary work Melville: His World and Work. He is a trustee of the Library of America, the Teagle Foundation and trustee emeritus of the National Humanities Center.

For more information, call 229-5998 or email kblackburn@stlawu.edu.