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Brother
John Perron, C.S.C.
I was born in Kirkland, Washington, across Lake Washington from
Seattle and reared on a dairy farm. I saw education
as my ticket to escape the farm. But with many interests
beckoning me--e.g., law, the military, astronomy, religion, teaching,
only gradually did my direction become clear.
Shortly
after graduating from high school, I entered the Congregation
of Holy Cross--to do something I thought worthwhile and to see
more of the country. I was off to Wisconsin and Indiana
for training to be a Brother. After attending the University
of Notre Dame, I began a series of high school teaching and administrative
assignments at schools operated by the Brothers of Holy Cross
in San Antonio, TX; Biloxi, MS and Hayward, CA.
Since
1970, I have been a member of the St. Edward's University English
faculty. Until recently, I held a joint teaching and administrative
position. As an administrator, I served for 12 years as
Director of Freshman Studies and another five years as
coordinator of the lower-division composition program and the
curriculum of the English writing major. Currently, I teach
Rhetoric and Composition I, Honors Rhetoric and Composition II,
and, for writing majors, Theories of Rhetoric and Composition.
The
following "first principles" animate my teaching:
- Socrates'
maxim: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
- Victor
Hugo's cautionary reflection: "We do not comprehend
everything, but we insult nothing."
- Love
for my subject or academic discipline. From that naturally
springs desire to share the discipline with other people.
- A
belief that we learn by doing. I cannot abide students
"just sitting there."
My
writing has appeared in The High School Journal, The Catholic
Educator, The Forum for Liberal Education, Composition Chronicle,
several national directories that describe innovative college
writing programs, and the Modern Language Association book New
Methods in College Writing Programs. I have been selected
to the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, for the St. Edward's University
Teaching Excellence Award, and to Who's Who in American Education.
If
money had been my objective, though, I should have stayed on our
farm. But I have no regrets on this account. I have seen
much of the country and have been to Canada, Mexico, Ireland and
England; and teaching many wonderful students over the years has
been eminently worthwhile.
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