EP311: Army Ranger Michael Schlitz Shares His Iraq Story and Harvard's President Believed Books, Not Schooling, Were the Key To Education

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Let's take a listen in the military. I tried out after high school. Now I say is low on the chair I knew if I went to college as I struggle five cardio to harden not really pay enough attention to classes and I really didn't want to set myself up for failure because I was just kinda fun around life at the time I didn't really have the direction and really an idea of what I wanted to. My father had been a Navy veteran.

My brother was already in the Army and in the time right now there is about to go to Haiti for operation of full democracy so my goal is to come in the military do a few years to become back out, go to college and then figure out what to do. Tim in the Army in March 1996 did my training here at Fort Benning, Georgia basic humanity pretty much right off the get go of it.

I just fell in love with it. I like the discipline. I like the routine like the everyday challenges you pretty much spoke of everyday knowing what to do at the same time there is new levels of responsibility and challenges constantly thrown at you can keep you on your toes and make you react to me there's nothing else like it. We do talk a lot about the teamwork and coming together as a team to accomplish mission, but now I see the military has a lot of I am there to get outperform your peers in order to be promoted to able to go to schools and I was challenge myself to be better than those around me. My first assignment after completing my training was 15 infantry out of Fort Lewis, which was part of 25 infantry division about a year and 1/2 being at Fort Lewis. I got paid to go to Korea and then after Korea went to for survival second and hundred first and right away when I got to hundred first United start plugging away as a specialist at the time and I asked him you know I got a free range. I want to go to Ranger school. What I need to going right now message the aerosol school first. The very last thing you do is a 12 mile foot March and now it is self release got 35 pounds on your back, you have three hours and it's an individual task at your own pace gathers other people out there, but it's really on you. I ended up coming in first place for and so I outdid my other classmates and so the next day was graduation my my first competence on income to graduation and I guess it was pretty normal that when you graduate the course to give you 40 passes a good job then come back to work and my company my infantry company was doing a 10 mile company race next day and my foot in his arms and gel first heart would like to give you the 40 past, but having this race we need in addition to rest the guys in the company. We understand he did 12 miles which you cannot do this run tomorrow and now now being a young guy in wanting to prove myself.

I said of course.

So I showed up the next day and I ended up taking third place. I can remember my my my platoon sergeant first on again. My selling is what I have pulled me off the site is held by the way on Monday start pre-Ranger so I'm always been a pretty lean guy. So going into Ranger school.

Five. Six. I only way to hundred 55 pounds. I can remember before going to school them saying hey you need to put as much fat on your body as you can because you want your dumb burning to the fact through your muscle and is sure enough happen to pretty much all of us and has a very distinct ammonia smell, and at the time we had the old BD use with the brownshirts and everybody shirts would turn orange is because when you burn the muscle and it puts off the secretion everything almost bleach undershirts, and so two months later when I came out of the swamps of Florida and the brief units. The first time I actually had stepped on the scale.

The entire time I would hundred 15 pounds. I started 155 pounds on just over two months and I lost 40 pounds and for being somebody who is lean that was actually quite a bit and leading up to graduation those four days are actually allowed to start put system back intermediate. Remember, eating paint the house and downsizing helpful pizzas and and you just eat and eat and eat and then when he could try to get some rest to side graduation.

I had asked to put on in those four days have got myself back up to hundred 35 pounds but it was like all got your eyes are still black. There's something in your cheeks were sunken and they're just frail looking your very weak looking to get the potbelly thing going on on the uniform but the majority the people who do go to school within that that point will find this anywhere from 25 to about 50 pounds.

I went back to the hundred first made Sgt. shortly after get back I was a team leader and then the big Army decided about time to go back to Korea and said patient bag from back to Korea for another year. You're always within your one year. He always allowed to take a little vacation time at some point made to relieve and so I was married at the time and so my life to come over and we said, just south of the finances of the islands of a kind on the on them for a few days from back in his soul having dinner in the next day were due to fly to Bali Asia for a few days and resend having dinner, watch the football game on TV. We saw the first plane of the tower and we actually thought they had changed the channel on his thinking. They took football game off and put on a movie and so were all kinda yelling and it was kind of an American foreign soul. I put the game back on. Then we saw the second plane hit. We realize okay something's not right see no we meet didn't even finish her dinner, we know we paid our check jumped in a cab back to our hotel where I had missed my work cell phone and it was like applications over time to come home. The vacation was over indeed and over for so many of us, especially those who serve in uniform and were listening to Michael Schlitz tell his story is service story.

By the way, so much of his family for many members of his family have served and that is the case throughout this country that military service runs through the family when we come back more of Michael Schlitz's story here on our American story American stories we bring you inspiring stories of history, sports, business, faith and love stories from a great and beautiful country need to be told we can't do it without you are stories are free to listen to with her not free to make if you love are stories in America like we do. Please. Well American stories.com and click the donate button give a little give a lot help us keep the great American stories coming out American stories.com Tori we have such a special app is brought to you by near attack ODT.

We recorded radiused windows hanging out near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event like window tango. I took minor tech PT.

I was present amazing time of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were met to plant 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family only near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg is the only medication that is proven between a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sound lively event like window tango town have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this at UHC Medicare health plan's.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I mean, my State Farm agent and company business owners to help the past. State Farm is in your corner and on a neighbor call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we continue with our American stories and with Michael Schlitz's story. We just heard about the day that changed America 9/11 and that's September 11, 2001.

Let's take it back. Michael eventually moved to us a staff position running the resources for all Ranger school. Sometimes it was air assets, but all the ranges land pretty much everything except for ammo. We had an okay did that Windows 7 relieve. I called up my branch manager and said hey you know what's next employing unit is on the next next guys leave his 10th Mountain division so that's what I want to go and so mean to me. There wasn't. There was no other options. It was this is what I want to do and since I haven't had the chance really deploy.

I knew I wanted next time going out. As I reported, 10th Mountain division in March 2006, we deployed in August 2006. Our sector was the southwest side of Baghdad on the media at the time, Sunni triangle or the triangle of death when we first invaded the insurgents really didn't know how to fight us in as a study lesson and found out our operating procedures and they can figure out how to attack his weaknesses just like we do for them and then are wounded and are killed in action double and so in 06, we have what we call the search and basically the US answer to that was to just triple the number of US forces we had in Iraq. The time to do a big sweep across country and that obviously in an area like that that's littered with roadside bombs, IDs, improvised explosive devices. The more people you put in Mary at the connection get injured, so we actually did CR are killed in action and inaction.

Triple numbers, but we are making a big push we're finding is IDs verifying the insurgent sales so make a huge difference. It just came at a cost. We had huge up armored vehicles have one that was called the husky. It was like a mind detecting vehicle and these vehicles are actually for Africa so they could drive over minefields I have in mind explode in the bottom vehicles instead of being flat like allow the US vehicles they had of the hall. They came down into a point like about and what would happen is when the rounds come up it would shatter a waiver scum and strength.

The armored van mind detecting vehicles. We had ship carrying vehicles that just love it. Have you heavy armored so we can absent some firepower on top and then we have one that has a huge call Sophie down wire we found that some that look suspicious week that they call it go away for the vehicle had a camera can interrogate it without ever leaving the security of her vehicle and there essentially take three hits in a single day.

Three IDs that we were unable to spot a late they detonate on us. As long as I vehicles Vicki probably just kept on with the mission when stopping on them. February 27, 2007 came about.

So like any other day. Woke up now got the guys ready gather that the vehicle spread to get them trapped problem in we did our briefings and they knew exactly was going take us about 15 hour patrol a day to get through all the routes that we had planned, and then we loaded up and down the road about three hours we came across on the routes of the time.

This is actually a dead-end road. Typically when you plan your route.

You never cover the same stop once because if you do you get blown up because they can predict your version of the dead know there's one way down back. They had taken our time anytime are looking for the IDs going on about 2 mph so it's it's a creek on obviously why you need that that heavy armored vehicles because you so slow it's it's an easy target and we got down to the end of the road. It's very rural area.

There's a lot of canals and farmland not the open desert that people think of when they think of Iraq was, I come back up and picked up the pace a little bit save if I got about between five and 10 miles an hour so it's not like her speeding up the road, but we were in Crete, long either.

And then I heard the blast I can remember hearing the booming before I can even get a choice four letter word. Those I sent the grounded yellow when you go through this training you go through all the stuff as a leader you always my just pause for a second and just get a quick battle damage assessments. He can make a quick decision can't be long is just a quick pause as I did. I looked in my vehicle and really at the time and see anything out of the on unusual about it, I see was my guys so I just merely got up to run back for my vehicle and as I got closer the vehicle. That's when I could feel the flames hit me in the face and I realizes fire and because I felt like it was in the torso area because of its is him in the face of that as I drop my IBA or my protective vest and so I can just toss it real quick.

I down and started to roll. I only got about a role in half and and that he was so intense that it basically locked up my muscles but I definitely was like okay this is it for me this this is my life and I hear you face on the gun. Iraq well I do I can't move on fire by the time those those those emotions and those thoughts are coming over my body.

I could hear my guys yelled for me before.

I know they're happy with that fire extinguisher anywhere from that that extreme heat to the extreme cooling thing. I probably find the words to describe that feeling of that cool sensation in the relief provided me like almost instantly, but they also gave me that you know that emotional kind that aspect where came in am not going to ground that if they got to me and I feel like this right now that you still have a fighting chance to go on from there on my young Sgt. Sam Redman was among my best sergeants actually have plans on taking them out of the Army for some other bad decisions he made as to the young guys grab me and start dragging me off the road and that he stopped me as I know you can't do that you have to get the spine board if you Dragon your kill and the only analogy I can really use are the way to explain it is if you think about baked chicken.

Just pull that baked chicken out of the Avenue.

Knowing how the me in this skin everything just kind scuffs on the phone while I basically had just been burned alive so had they drive me. Everything just got off the private kill you guys are talking to me and reassure me get a little annoyed with it. I can never tell him to shut up. I got this. Don't worry about it and before I knew it, so tear the chopper coming and now got the medevac was coming and all the guys were kind lightly lay over me. Not enough to take the burns or anything but just water wash landing and they loaded me remember there's a female flight medic just my name, and social.

I got my name out no idea about the social and makes his kind kicked in.

Later on I found out they very much had to start working on me right away and blot late years, it about two years after it happened. I asked the surgeon was Air Force Col. and he said that of his two years of the start of the day had never been attacked so for the one time is on the table of the proctored taxes. Things were shaken and soften easily can remember was my legs is everything about my boo was really really bad condition and I don't remember what the procedure was, basically, there was procedure they were supposed to do on Burns economy Medical Center is like the burn hospital. One of the best hospitals for burns. There is a procedure that they weren't supposed to do on a burn patient and ended up doing it all mean it was the only way to save my legs because had that happen they would hesitate my legs to so now here's a guy who not only save my life.

I is constantly flatlining and having all kinds of issues and the prognosis is go back to the unit was I was making that I was just too far gone and you're listening to Army Ranger Michael Schlitz know one heck of a story he deploys to a rack doesn't get the easy space there is really much of an easy space or place their gifts the Sunni triangle.

When you overlay the search, particularly the insurgency was of minds that actually develop their own name called improvised explosive devices.

That's what they were in. His job was to find which meant he and his unit to go out at a crawl and be open targets not only these devices all kinds of all kinds of attacks and also protect fellow soldiers from these IUDs and ultimately to secure the area. When we come back more of this remarkable story. Story of how Michael Schlitz comes back from a near death experience here on our American store Tory Jeep. We have such a special percent brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at radiused windows came down near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still set an exciting event like window tango. I had when I took minor tech PT. I was present amazing time of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were met to plant 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines else sound lively Van Slyke window tango town have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65.

You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this UHC Medicare health plan's.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance.

I need my State Farm agent and company business owners to help the past. State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we continue here with our American stories and the story of Army Ranger Michael Schlitz.

Let's pick up where Michael last left off like a stabilize me and prima semipro County Medical Center got there on to March 07 merely put and I see you spent six months in ICU multiple skin grafts that point they had to make the call to go and take the hands so I didn't lose the hands from the explosion actually lost her hands to the burns. Mentally I knew I knew how to walk and stuff that I had so much muscle damage and so much weakness that when I would go to get to walk like initially I just cannot crumble couldn't walk so they had to build that up so know sometimes it was just today over again to stand up to bed. The next day due to steps in now to walk to the door like one of the ways he motivated me as my brother, my niece were down visiting and they allow me to walk to the ICU doors in my niece was truly the first time she got to see me to see and recognize me her name spring and I always had a way I always say rambling and rambling on so I did and she realized it was me because I had to go back to the room so they shut the doors and this was such an was until I went to my welcome home ceremony that I found out the three guys at my vehicle all passed away know they didn't want to tell me when is in the hospital are going to recovery because they don't want needed mentally or just have it stressed me out to the point right to change after about four months of the burn ward and so going through it. The only way they let me on the hospital as if I got a small house on post house close the hospital, something that happened I was still nearby so mom and I moved into small small primary 700 square-foot home two-bedrooms rounds of each other in.

That's where that that timeframe you are still try sleeping 16 hours a day, I'd be out. They change my bandages and I eat and that's pretty much all I go to sleep wake up E go to sleep wake up beat and go sleep for mom that that that was price of horrific conversations and learning about the stuff that she had taken Chad to allow the care Chad do all the cooking the cleaning.

I wasn't allowed to sleep on my sheets more than once because of infection, so I just put all that on her isolation have anybody to help her so she was doing on her own. Eventually, you know I got my first prosthetic and and then I can remember going home and mom cooked and my food out for that very first as able to feed myself and that was cheap for me because leading up to and that first prosthetic I can't trust myself can feel myself going to myself that the root is really very little I could do.

I never see myself in and that affects you mentally. Obviously had I contemplated suicide and I don't let mom down.

Now I have my brothers in the Army allowed people never want to let anybody down so confidently because that support system is widening side when I had the first prostate giving that little bit of hope that little bit of independence shortly after that I got the second prosthetic know I just kind of go sense that I have bad days are take turns here and there still I can say that I never first saw my my life going in the direction where things are battle with his sense of purpose.

Now my entire adult life as a soldier I lived for my career I would pretty much everything. My life took second second string to my career like I want to be a soldier this by doing you know if a man missing a wedding of Miss somebody's birthday are missing a big big event that if it was for the militarism that I had thought I had to do. I would always pick it over everything and now in my marriage I got I got divorced well before the injury that I wasted my career… It's who I was and now I didn't feel I could be a soldier anymore. I felt like you know my identity had been struck for me.

I didn't know I was doing and mom and I would have conversation like I don't want to do cycle maybe you could use a public speaker. I can't do that now and she should try to guide me in my comfort see what where life would take me at the time, or even that you know going back on my career as an instructor giving classes to a few hundred kids in hours per soldiers are doing any of those things that is assigned to more events they would asked me to come speak to my story more than I had that opportunity go over back to Iraq on three different occasions through anything, operation proper exit so I came backwards, fallen into facial speaking and leadership speaking companies units nonprofit events charity events and so that's what I do now in and now it's my purpose. It's what I like to do casing around both the veteran community guys who served, but it was World War II up to the current conflicts or its active-duty guys. Every branch can think of. It just allows me to get around everybody in. I've had great support network.

Obviously, I didn't do it on my own now the brotherhood's been very very good having weather is like Isaiah 10 found the ranges I served with no guys at as a private with that.

So keep in touch with me.

It's a very, very tightknit community just thought Army veteran and I'm glad I got the chance to serve. I can ditch my life without it. But obviously veterans it takes a sentimentality to serve your country and obviously after 14 years of war. Now, very because of their common home a little different now. Well, really, kinda bothers me is not gone public.

I could have three veterans with me to may be suffering from post dramatic stress want to be have TV dramatic brain injury and then there's me. The only one, though think is me and I just forget about these guys with those guys service is no different than mine now and I have no guys that have multiple deployments always coming up to me and saying I like my services in quite the same isn't like there's not your services the same same as mine.

I had one bad day which changed this part of me but the actual service serving your country is no different know anybody and on any given day can have a bad day and I want to vet it looks like but we don't know enough about the brain and the way things function to fix the brain right now. You can throw meds and you can do different things will ultimately bring to do with the brains can do some really mean is a physical injury, the guys have leg injuries is always a waste to adapt something I can figure out now at the beginning before I apostates I use daily Gatorade bottles drill hole in the Put the cap back on, fill in my drink and I have a straw on their side. Myself so for me, life is always about adapting and changing doing stuff when you have a TBI or you have PTS to the higher functioning levels. You don't have that option. You know you can control it so they may look what you considered normal for their struggling more so than a lot of people that you considered disabled class. I think it's important to stay in touch with everybody and now not far off. The greatest can be hard for those guys who may remove to those rule communities away from military pose away from some of the larger organizations that in today's society, and special social media now and and Facebook mean, there's so many veteran groups on on Facebook that you can reach out to you don't get to go open to have dinner with them once a week or once a month at least to cater if you have its initial summary to vent to. Nobody understands veteran veteran and a terrific job on the production by Greg Hendler. Special thanks to Michael Schlitz sharing his story about his service and all that happened while he was on duty in Iraq, losing three of his pals.

He survived but he lost three of his pals lost his hands and lost so much pertained as much to back learning about the brotherhood about the 10th Mountain division, and so many others who help Michael since his story the story so many of our soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You on our American story. Tori we have such a special brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at radius and windows came down near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still set an exciting event like window tango.

I had when I took minor attack ODT.

I was present amazing time of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were met to plant 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully near attack ODT were not to plant 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines else sound lively events like window tango town have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this UHC Medicare health plan's.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives.

I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent and company business owners to help the past. State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor call your local State Farm agent for quote today and were back with our American stories, and now we bring you one of our favorite contributors and producers John Elfman tells the story of the iconic book collection known as the Harvard Classics created by the president of Harvard 1800s because of his unusual philosophy on education in the early 1900s commitment Charles Elliott made this bold claim 555 feet long. That might strike some surprising. What is even more surprising is that this man Charles Elliott was president of Harvard University position he held for nearly 40 years seems odd that the president of America's most prestigious university would say you don't need to school to become educated if you know little more about Charles Elliott in the United States at the turn-of-the-century.

The statement makes more sense during the early 1900s, the United States is experiencing rapid transformation the American Industrial Revolution included loads of factory jobs which were luring farmers from rural America and immigrants from across the ocean to American cities. The population was skyrocketing. That's Dr. Robert Johnston history professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago is an expert on this.

The social changes of the late 19th and early 20th century night states were among the most momentous in our nation's history. People came from all over the globe so that they could have better lives for themselves and for their children are drawn to America to improve the economics of stances when I call these people strivers people really sought to prove themselves and what we think of is a classic American way of the strivers to improve themselves was recognized by members of America's established elite class members more lead than Dr. Charles Elliott, the longest-serving president of Harvard University's claim at the beginning of the story about the possibility of an education minus the universe was no hollow clean familiar and spent his last four decades, Harvard's president transforming the institution from its original mission as a minister's training school to become a leading liberal arts college, so it was nearing the time and begin to consider how his transformation of Harvard could be shared more broadly with those who couldn't attend the University of course, the problem was still very few people to go to college not determined that any college and so what would you do create opportunity for everyone saw the nations emerging striper class and begin speaking to other terms. Imagine the classics taught at Harvard could be made more widely available, especially to those who couldn't afford to take four years off to attend the University. That vision was his belief in the power of the written word, to educate, I'm telling you this guy loved books. Books not teachers with the surest path to becoming educated and most competent of the most accessible and wisest of counselors in the most patient of teachers begin to share in public addresses. His belief that the University may not be necessary to become what she called a cultivated man shall withhold books enough to afford a liberal education. Anyone who would read them with devotion, even if he could spare. But today for reading. 15 minutes a day. That's all it would take Dr. Elliott's bookshelf was the right idea at the right time. There was a public appetite for something like this is Dr. Robert Johnston thinking of a better life of capturing the American dream was not just about making money and buying a better house, but in fact becoming cultured to do that people realize that they wanted to be educated in a very broad way, later amended his estimation of the size of the bookshelf to 5 feet and his frequent references to this idea to name Dr. Elliott's 5 foot bookshelf. It's not clear that this idea was anything Elliott ever intended to actually create sure it was consistent with his ideas about the value of liberal arts education for Elliott this 5 foot bookshelf idea seems to be more of a rhetorical flourish than an actual intention, and it was going to make since you likely assumed you never have to test the ability of his bookshelf to educate. That was until Peter Collier one of the nation's biggest publishers. Elliott make this claim in a speech said Elliott yeah prove Peter Collier was the publisher of Colliers nine is billed itself as a weekly collection fact fiction sensation with humor in news magazine feature prominent writers, including Jack London Upton Sinclair and the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle, public Colliers was first published in 18 88 x 18 92 was going to a million homes in America. By the time Charles Elliott was publicly ruminating about his 5 foot bookshelf number going to have to why was there such a large audience for magazine like Colliers at this time was because the changing nature of work was creating something new in the labor force leisure time shifts instead of turning to a farm which operates essentially 24 hours a day because shiftwork was put so was as much of people working and working many hours working very hard did have the money was available to go out and have genuine leisure opportunities in many ways the first time in a mass level. Read and now thanks to Peter Collier had something to read the could make them what Charles Elliott called a cultivated man Harvard Classics. Following on the great success of these massive person magazines.

People like Peter Collier said why can't we do this for book series would be the same model the same demographic and people would love to grassy opportunity to get genuine liberal education Charles Elliott accepted Colliers challenge Elliott's retirement along with several professors from Harvard begin selecting works that were worthy of inclusion in the 5 foot bookshelf agreed to the 50 volume collection would be suitable. In May 1909. Immediately following Elliott's retirement from Harvard, began the list of works included that covered over 23,000 pages is too long to do justice to get some of the authors, Plato, Cicero, John Milton St. Augustine Walt Whitman Shakespearean so many others. The marketing of the classics was James Charles Elliott's renown was central to this marketing several public statements like this one to advertise the Harvard Classics volume containing about 23,008 to provide the means of obtaining such knowledge of ancient and modern literature tilt of the 20th century idea of a cultivated man in the visual presentation of the Harvard Classics was ingenious as well.

Upon its release three distinct bindings were printed limited first edition run of 20,000 copies.

Charles Elliott's watermark signature on every page edition was noticed deluxe limited edition class was the Elliott edition signed by Charles Limited, 1000 sets and alumni addition deluxe the record, it is unclear what made this addition alumni board to the buyers truly felt like a luxury edition published in crimson colored binding as everyone knew the color crimson meant Harvard seal was printed on the binding of visitors to the house of an owner of the classics we identify the collection. Most importantly, audience for this citydwellers were here to improve themselves. Harvard Classics promised the rear entrance and the status of cultivated man. The first two decades of the Harvard Classics publishing 350,000 full sets were sold and countless more were sold as Colliers continued to publish various additions until 1970 still find sets in American households today.

I grew up in a house with a full set on display, and where did we display it. Ironically 5 foot bookshelf in our bathroom. I'll let you insert a joke there, but in the meantime, here again is Dr. Robert Johnston on the significance of the Harvard Classics. Is this idea that you can't have democracy without an educated citizenry and I think there is actually much to have functioning good working truly democratic society do need to have people who are well educated at a very nasty series like the Harvard Classics were crucial to that family set of the Harvard Classics was recently donated to a local high school and given the clear educational goals.

Dr. Elliott's 5 foot bookshelf seem like a pretty appropriate place for the Harvard Classics to be displayed. You can still find complete sets online in pretty good condition so if you have an empty 5 foot shelf in an available 15 minutes a day, maybe you want to get yourself a set of the Harvard Classics and a special thanks to John Elfman for some terrific storytelling. If you're lucky enough to be in his school history teacher in the public school system in Illinois and my goodness. If we had more history teachers like this history would actually be interesting. And what a story to tell about Dr. Charles Elliott, and the shift from college's theology schools and schools. The classic liberal arts schools now. Well, whatever your opinion to what they are now in my goodness to read these classics and have them in one space and sell 350,000 of them complete series showed you the truth, of the appetite for the strivers. It wasn't just about money wasn't just about a home was about culture to in this leisure time to be able to read that the 20th century brought wealth to everybody. Farmers well who have the time work work work in the idea that we have this kind of time. One of the great great advances in world history.

The story of Dr. Charles Elliott story of the Harvard Classics, and so much more here on our American story.

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