Albert "Bill" Levi

Bill Levi was faculty of social science and philosophy from fall 1945 to fall 1950. He received an AB in sociology from Dartmouth College in 1932 and an AM and PhD from the University of Chicago. After leaving BMC, he taught at Washington University in St. Louis until his retirement. He is author of a number of books including Philosophy and the Modern World, Philosophy as Social Expression, Literature, Philosophy and the Imagination, and many others.

Relationships

Wife: Fellow BMC staff, M.C. Richards

Black Mountain College Project

Mary Emma Harris interviewed Albert in 1977 and the transcript is available from Appalachian State University under The Mary Emma Harris and Black Mountain College Project, Inc. Oral History collection.

Topics: BMC educational ideals and Martin Duberman book – arrival at BMC with M.C. Richards – conflict with Josef Albers – conflict with Theodore Dreier – college mortgages – salary scale – being rector at BMC – Ilya Bolotowsky – Charles Bell and journal conflict – Board of Fellows election politics – disillusionment with BMC and leave of absence – Pittinger as rector – college versus community – John Wallen conflict – discussion of photographs – Levi classes at BMC – Duberman interview – year with Richards in France