Van Meter Ames (July 9, 1898 — November 9, 1985) was an American academic and educator who served as a professor of philosophy at the
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,0 ...
. From 1959 until 1966, he was the head of the university's philosophy department.
In 1976, the
American Humanist Association designated him as a fellow for "outstanding contributions to humanist thought in ethics and aesthetics".
Ames was a founding member of the
American Society for Aesthetics
American Society for Aesthetics (ASA) is a
philosophical organization founded in 1942 to promote the study of aesthetics. The ASA sponsors national and regional conferences, and publishes the ''Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism'', the '' ...
, serving as its president from 1961 to 1962. He had also served as the president of the
American Philosophical Association
The American Philosophical Association (APA) is the main professional organization for philosophers in the United States. Founded in 1900, its mission is to promote the exchange of ideas among philosophers, to encourage creative and scholarl ...
's Western Division from 1959 to 1960. In 1965, Ames contributed to the Congressional bill that established the
National Foundation for the Endowment of the Arts and Humanities and was a member of its founding national committee.
Early life and education
Ames was born on July 9, 1898, in
De Soto, Iowa
De Soto is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 915 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines–West Des Moines, Iowa, West Des Moines Des Moines metropolit ...
. His father, the theologian and pastor Edward Scribner Ames, had served as the chairman of the philosophy department at the University of Chicago and championed the philosophy of the
Chicago school. After the family moved to Chicago, Ames would go on to enroll in the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
, where he completed his
PhD in philosophy with his dissertation, ''The Aesthetics of the Novel'', in 1924.
Awards and honors
In 1948, Ames was granted a
Rockefeller grant to study philosophy in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. From 1958 until 1959, a
Fulbright scholarship enabled him to study as a research professor at
Komazawa University in Japan.
In 1976, the American Humanist Association designated him as a humanist fellow for outstanding contributions to humanist thought in ethics and aesthetics.
Personal life
Ames was married to Betty Breneman, with whom he had three children: Sanford Scribner Ames, Damaris Ames, and Christine Ames Cornish.
Selected works
*
References
Sources
*
* {{Cite journal , last=Duncan , first=Elmer H. , year=1981 , title=Van Meter Ames: An Examination and Appraisal of His Philosophy of Art , url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3332548?read-now=1&seq=3#page_scan_tab_contents , journal=The Journal of Aesthetic Education , volume=15 , issue=4 , pages=97–113 , via=JSTOR
1898 births
1985 deaths