The future of public higher education is in the citizens hands, says Matthews. So when I discovered that, thanks to the booming stock market, I had it in my power to offer substantial support, I decided it was the thing to do. The Nostrands gift which established the Howard and Frances Nostrand Endowed Professorship, based in the Department of Linguistics reflects the couple s lifelong interest in the connections between language and culture. The Nostrands have been particularly interested in issues of cultural competence the idea that every language student should also know background about the history, geography, literature, social institutions, and value system in which their language exists. You can t really use a language unless you understand the culture of the people who speak it, says Howard, professor emeritus of Romance languages and literature.
Cultural competence is so important in business, diplomacy, and even tourism.
Howard served as chair of the department from 1939 to 1965, retiring in 1981. He has written more than 100 publications, many of them with Frances, who served as a lecturer in the department from 1962 to 1979. We ve been thinking about this gift for a long time, says Howard. The goal of the professorship is to continue our incomplete life s work. We invite friends and colleagues who share this goal to add their own gifts to this professorship.