Goodrich
Seminar Room
Preserving the wisdom of the ages and making it accessible to new generations of learners.
The Goodrich Seminar Room at Wabash College was built to preserve the wisdom of the ages and make it accessible to new generations of learners.
Located within the Lilly Library, the Room was conceived as an educational environment where students, scholars, and citizens could encounter the ideas, books, and conversations that have shaped human civilization over more than three thousand years. Its walls trace the development of human thought from the ancient civilizations of the Near East, India, China, Greece, and Rome through the Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, and modern era.
The Room originated from a desire to establish more than a library or memorial. It was designed as a place where individuals could engage directly with the great conversation of humanity. The books on its shelves, the names inscribed on its walls, and the discussions held around its central table invite participants to explore how men and women across centuries have wrestled with the enduring questions of human existence.
In his 1961 Letter to the Librarian of Wabash College, Pierre F. Goodrich described two purposes of the Room. The first was to invoke a humbling experience by confronting visitors with the vast sweep of human history and achievement. The second was to inspire a desire to learn by exploring the books, ideas, and experiences that help us better understand ourselves and the world around us. Through that process, learners are encouraged to examine three fundamental questions:
What Am I?
Can I?
Ought I?
These questions stand at the heart of the Room's educational mission. They invite reflection on human nature, freedom, responsibility, character, and the good life.
Socratic Learning
The Room was designed to support the Socratic method of learning—emphasizing discussion, questioning, debate, and disciplined examination of ideas over passive reception.
A Global Tradition
The thinkers represented in the Room come from many civilizations and traditions, reflecting the global human endeavor to seek truth, justice, wisdom, and flourishing.
Engage & Explore
Participants are invited to engage great texts, compare competing viewpoints, and develop the habits of inquiry that support lifelong learning.
Digital Access
Through its website, the Goodrich Seminar Room extends access to books, thinkers, and resources via interactive timelines, digital texts, and Socratic seminars.
A Continuing Mission
More than a place, the Goodrich Seminar Room is an invitation to join the continuing conversation of humanity—past, present, and future.
Learn More About the Goodrich Seminar Room
Read Goodrich's
Letter to the Librarian
Discover Pierre F. Goodrich's original letter outlining his vision and the twofold purpose behind the creation of the Seminar Room.
Read the Letter →
Watch a Lecture
Presentation about the Room
View a lecture presentation that explores the history, design, and educational mission of the Goodrich Seminar Room.
Watch the Lecture →The Goodrich Seminar Room continues its original mission to inspire reflection, foster dialogue, and cultivate the habits of mind and heart necessary for a thoughtful life.