Gilbert Highet

Gilbert Highet – Life, Work, and Memorable Quotes

Delve into the life of Gilbert Highet (1906–1978)—the Scottish-born classicist and public intellectual—his academic journey, his contributions to classical studies and liberal education, and some of his most resonant quotations.

Introduction

Gilbert Arthur Highet was a distinguished Scottish-American classicist, writer, and educator whose work bridged the scholarly and the public. Born in Scotland in 1906 and passing in New York in 1978, he became well known in mid-20th century America for his teaching at Columbia University, his books on classical tradition, and his efforts to popularize the humanities to a broader audience. His belief in the power of learning, books, and intellectual freedom still inspires readers and educators today.

Early Life and Family

Highet was born on June 22, 1906, in Glasgow, Scotland. Hillhead High School in Glasgow, where he showed early promise.

He later studied at University of Glasgow, earning his M.A. in 1928 (Glasgow’s system awarded the MA as the first degree in the arts). Balliol College, Oxford, where he achieved firsts in Classical Moderations (1930) and in Literae Humaniores (“Greats,” philosophy + ancient history) in 1932.

In 1932, Highet married Helen MacInnes, who was also from Glasgow and would become an acclaimed novelist (especially in espionage literature). Keith.

Academic Career & Contributions

Oxford and Early Scholarly Work

After his studies, Highet became a Fellow and Tutor at St John’s College, Oxford (1933–1937). An Outline of Homer (1935).

He also was part of the intellectual ferment at Oxford under people like Maurice Bowra, Gilbert Murray, and others who shaped the classical and humanities environment in that era.

Move to the United States & Columbia

In 1938, Highet accepted a position in the United States and joined Columbia University as professor of Greek and Latin.

In 1950, he became the Anthon Professor of Latin Language and Literature at Columbia, a prestigious chair.

Though he formally retired in 1971, his influence continued via his writings, lectures, and public presence.

Other Roles & Public Intellectual Activities

Highet was not only a scholar in cloistered halls—he actively engaged public intellectual life:

• He hosted a radio program (weekly essays) in the 1950s, broadcasting to hundreds of radio stations across the U.S. and Canada.

• He served on the Book-of-the-Month Club as a judge.

• He was part of the editorial board of Horizon magazine for many years, writing reviews and essays.

• He also participated in literary translation (for example, translating Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture by Werner Jaeger) and collaborated with his wife in some translation work.

During World War II, he served in the British Army (because at that time he was still a British subject).

Highet’s reputation, especially at Columbia, was that of a charismatic and theatrical lecturer. According to recollections, entering his classroom felt like watching a performance; his presence, voice, and delivery often left strong impressions on students.

Major Works & Intellectual Themes

Gilbert Highet was prolific; his writings ranged across classics, literary criticism, education theory, and cultural commentary. Some of his major works include:

• An Outline of Homer (1935)

• The Classical Tradition: Greek and Roman Influences on Western Literature (1949) — perhaps his most influential work, tracing how classical models shaped later Western writing.

• The Art of Teaching (1950) — his reflections on pedagogy and the role of the educator.

• People, Places and Books (1953)

• Juvenal the Satirist: A Study (1954)

• Poets in a Landscape (1957)

• The Anatomy of Satire (1962)

• The Speeches in Virgil’s Aeneid (1972)

• The Immortal Profession: The Joys of Teaching and Learning (1976)

Intellectual themes that run through his work:

• Classical continuity and tradition: He believed that Greek and Roman literature and ideas deeply shaped Western culture; his Classical Tradition shows how later authors, across centuries, respond to classical models.

• Education and pedagogy: He saw teaching as an art; he reflected often on how to engage minds, communicate ideas, and cultivate lifelong learners.

• Intellectual freedom & pluralism: In his essays, he warned against ideological control of thought, argued for plurality in ideas, and insisted on critical thinking.

• The power of books, reading, and historical insight: He frequently used metaphors of books as living voices, history as a deep journey, and reading as a medium of connection across time.

Personality, Impact & Legacy

Gilbert Highet was widely admired for combining rigorous scholarship with public engagement. At Columbia and in intellectual circles, he was a “celebrity classicist” — someone whose lectures, essays, and radio presence made him known beyond purely academic audiences.

His lecturing style, according to former students and colleagues, was dramatic yet lucid—he brought energy, voice modulation, movement, and a sense of occasion to the classroom.

He stood for the idea that the humanities should not be confined to scholars but should nourish the broader public mind. He believed education should help people not only earn a living, but “enjoy living” through the happiness of sustained learning.

His legacy survives in his books, essays, and in the many students he influenced. His work still figures in discussions about the classical tradition and liberal education.

He died on January 20, 1978, in New York City, following a battle with cancer.

Famous Quotes by Gilbert Highet

Here are several of Gilbert Highet’s memorable quotations. These reflect his love for books, learning, teaching, and the human spirit:

“These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. From each of them goes out its own voice … by taking down one of these volumes … one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space, and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind, heart to heart.”

“A teacher must believe in the value and interest of his subject as a doctor believes in health.”

“The chief aim of education is to show you, after you make a livelihood, how to enjoy living; and you can live longest and best and most rewardingly by attaining and preserving the happiness of learning.”

“The aim of those who try to control thought is always the same. They find one single explanation of the world … and then they try to impose that on all thinking people.”

“The mind never need stop growing. Indeed, one of the few experiences which never pall is the experience of watching one’s own mind … develop new thoughts, apparently without effort …”

“Do not try to make the brilliant pupil a replica of yourself.”

These quotes capture his conviction that books, teaching, and free intellectual inquiry are vital to personal and societal flourishing.

Lessons from Gilbert Highet

From his life and work, several lessons emerge:

1. The humanities can and should reach beyond academia.
   Highet believed that literature, history, and classical ideas should be accessible and enlivening to general audiences, not just scholars.

2. Teaching is an art as much as a craft.
   His reflections on pedagogy emphasize passion, presentation, and the lived experience of ideas—not just content delivery.

3. Books are living dialogues across time.
   Highet’s metaphor about books as “minds alive” reminds us that reading connects us to thinkers past and present.

4. Intellectual freedom must be defended.
   He warned against ideological monopolies of thought and insisted on pluralism and critical inquiry.

5. Learning is lifelong.
   His insistence that “the mind never need stop growing” suggests that curiosity is a sustained virtue, not merely a phase.

6. Let teaching foster individuality, not conformity.
   His admonition not to shape a pupil into one’s own replica encourages mentors to nurture independent minds, not clones.