Benjamin B. Dunlap

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Benjamin Bernard Dunlap (born December 3, 1937 in Columbia, South Carolina[1]) is an American academic, who has been the president of Wofford College since July 2000.

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[edit] Early days and education

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Dunlap nearly drowned when he was 13 and had a motorcycle accident in his 20s that broke his nose.[2]

Dunlap was a varsity athlete at the University of the South (Sewanee), where he graduated in 1959 summa cum laude.[3] He attended Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar and Harvard University as a graduate student in English language and literature.[1]. At Oxford, Dunlap completed B.A. with Honours in English in 1962 and M.A. in 1966[4]. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1967. During his Oxford days, Dunlap and Kris Kristofferson were best friends.[2]

[edit] Academic career

Before coming to Wofford, Dunlap held faculty appointments at both Harvard (as a visiting professor in 1972[4]) and the University of South Carolina (1968-1992).[1] While at USC, he won numerous awards for teaching and scholarship, including the Russell Award for Distinguished Scholarship (1980), the University of South Carolina Teacher of the Year Award (1974), the Outstanding Teacher of English Award (1974), the South Carolina College Outstanding Professor Award (1984) and the Mortarboard Excellence in Teaching Award (1991).[3]

Before being elected the 10th president at Wofford, Dr. Dunlap was the Chapman Family Professor of Humanities for seven years (1993-2000)[1]. In addition to cross-disciplinary courses, Dunlap's teaching fields include Asian Studies, European literature and creative writing. He continues to team-teach the Wofford College Presidential Seminar.

Dr. Dunlap is a frequent moderator for the Aspen Institute's Executive Seminars as well as its Crown Fellowship Program.[1] He was also on the 2007 Board of Governors of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce.[5] He has taught and lectured widely in Europe, India, Thailand, and Japan[3]. He has served as a Fulbright professor in Thailand and a Japan Society Leadership Fellow in Japan.[1]

[edit] Other interests

Dr. Dunlap has published poems, essays, anthologies, guides and opera libretti. As a writer-producer for public television, Dunlap has been responsible for more than 200 programs[6]. His 19-part series The Renaissance has been adopted for use by more than 100 colleges and universities. Among Dunlap's many awards for work in film and television are a national EMMY Award Nomination, two CINE Golden Eagle Awards, a First Place Award in the Samuel G. Engel International Film & Television Drama Competition and a Parents' Choice Award[3]. He has also written a novel, Famous Dogs of the Civil War and danced five years (around age 40) in a civic ballet company[3].

[edit] Honors

In 2007, Professor Dunlap was among "50 remarkable people" invited to present at the prestigious TED2007 (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference in Monterey, California[7]. He joined such notables as former President Bill Clinton, former NBA star and author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, author Isabel Allende, and singer/songwriter Paul Simon.

In January 2006, Dr. Dunlap received an honorary degree from his alma mater, the University of the South (Sewanee)[3].

[edit] Personal life

Dr. Dunlap married Anne Boyd Dunlap in 1963; they have three children[8]. Dr. Dunlap lived in Indonesia for few years, where he picked up his love for the Laotian game of Takraw, a cross between soccer and volleyball played on a doubles' badminton court.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Seminar Moderators: Benjamin Bernard Dunlap. Aspen Institute. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
  2. ^ a b c Sean P. Flynn (2007-04-05). Dunlap's Wikipedia entry is the stuff of legend. Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Wofford president receives honorary degree at Sewanee. Director of News Services, Wofford College (2006-01-19). Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
  4. ^ a b Faculty and Research: Benjamin B. Dunlap. Management Institute of Paris. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
  5. ^ 2007 Board of Governors. Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
  6. ^ Moderator Bios: Dr. Benjamin (Ben) Dunlap. Africa Leadership Initiative. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
  7. ^ Wofford president among 50 ‘remarkable people’ at TED. Swamp Fox (2007-03-08). Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
  8. ^ Biography. Wofford College. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.

[edit] External links