UNIVERSITY NEWS - APRIL 2004

FAU Hosts Author James Carroll

BOCA RATON, FL (April 5, 2004) - Florida Atlantic University's second annual May Smith Lecture Series on Post-Holocaust Christian Jewish Dialogue brought acclaimed author James Carroll to the Boca Raton campus. Open to the community, the lecture titled "Bringing Islam into the Post-Holocaust Christian/Jewish Dialogue" drew a large crowd to the University.

Carroll, an ordained Catholic priest, left the priesthood to become a writer. He is the author of nine novels, including New York Times bestsellers Mortal Friends (1978), Family Trade (1982) and Prince of Peace (1984). His novel The City Below was a New York Times "Notable Book of 1994." Lauded for his accomplishments as a writer of non-fiction as well, Carroll received the 1996 National Book Award for nonfiction. His 1991 non-fiction masterpiece Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews; A History was a New York Times bestseller and was named one the best books of that year by numerous major newspapers and magazines. A sought-after lecturer on Jewish-Christian reconciliation, he is a regular participant in the on-going Jewish-Christian-Moslem encounters at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.

As benefactors of the annual endowed lecture series that bears their names, Bernard and May Smith are deeply committed to defining Florida Atlantic University as a serious center for Holocaust studies. The Smith Lectureship is designed to bring distinguished scholars from a variety of academic disciplines to the Boca Raton campus. The series is managed by Dr. Alan L. Berger, FAU's Raddock Eminent Scholar Chair of Holocaust Studies in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, in consultation with Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Preceding the public lecture, a special reception dinner was held for Carroll and selected guests at the Eleanor R. Baldwin House. Joining the Smiths, Carroll and Dr. and Mrs. Alan L. Berger were FAU President Frank T. Brogan, Trustee Bruce Warshal, David and Sandy Lowe, Eleanor R. Baldwin, Arthur Jaffe, Connie Packman, Will Ray, William Gralnick and Sally Osherow.

-FAU-