"Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued." - Socrates

On Saturday, Nov. 24 at noon, family and friends of professor emeritus John Mayer will celebrate his 80th birthday at Pond Inlet at Brock University.

Mayer came to Brock in July 1965 as associate professor and chair of the Philosophy Department. Before that, he taught philosophy at McMaster University in Hamilton.

In 1968, Mayer was appointed to the newly created post of Associate Dean of Arts and Science at Brock by then University president James A. Gibson.

Mayer, along with G. M. C. Sprung, also conceived the Master of Philosophy program in 1972. At that time, they believed that neither Continental philosophy, nor the growing interest in Eastern philosophy, was being taken seriously in Canada. Subsequently, the program built its reputation with the appointment of such eminent scholars as professors Zygmunt Adamczewski, John H. Nota, and Debabrata Sinha.

Mayer was a special member of the Brock Philosophical Society, formed in 1982 to institutionalize a philosophical community that promotes an open and free discussion of ideas in symposia and conferences. It is primarily composed of Brock alumni, members of the Niagara community, and Brock faculty members and students.

Alumni and friends are invited to celebrate with John Mayer on Nov. 24. Registration and lunch is $12. If you’re interested in attending, please contact David Goicoechea at 905-892-4987 or jtito1@cogeco.ca