Cultural Historian

Carl E. Schorske’s lecture, “A Life of Learning” begins, “My first encounter with the world of learning . . took place when I entered kindergarten in Scarsdale, New York.
To break the ice . . .my teacher asked her pupils to volunteer a song. I gladly offered a German one, called ‘Morgenrot.’ It was a rather gloomy number. . . about a soldier fatalistically contemplating his death in battle at dawn.” Shaken, the teacher took Schorske to meet the principal, who promptly promoted him to first grade.